The Benue State Government has uncovered more than 4,000 illegal and substandard schools operating across the state, according to Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Kula Tersoo.
Speaking during a media briefing in Makurdi, Tersoo said the affected schools lacked qualified teaching personnel and were not conducive for effective learning.
He noted that the administration of Governor Hyacinth Alia had taken steps to reform the education sector, including the recruitment of 9,700 qualified teachers into primary schools statewide.
Tersoo also announced that the government paid the external examination fees for about 19,000 students who sat for the West African Examination Council (WAEC), National Examination Council (NECO), and National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB) in the 2023/2024 academic session.
He highlighted the administration’s efforts to stabilise higher education, revealing that the government had cleared a backlog of 38 months of earned allowances owed to staff at the state-owned Moses Adasu University, formerly known as Benue State University.
“Our tertiary institutions have enjoyed uninterrupted academic sessions since this administration assumed office,” Tersoo stated.
He also disclosed that the state government had secured a license to establish a University of Technology at Ihugh in Vandeikya Local Government Area.
“These interventions are part of the Alia administration’s broader strategy to reposition the education sector and improve access to quality education,” he added.
The government has not yet detailed enforcement measures against the illegal schools, but officials say inspections and regulatory actions are ongoing.
