The Cross River State Government has shut down 36 unapproved primary and secondary schools operating without registration or official approval in three local government areas of the state.
Commissioner for Education, Professor Stephen Odey, announced the closure on Tuesday in Calabar, describing the proliferation of unlicensed schools as “unfortunate” and a major threat to education standards.
He said some individuals were exploiting unsuspecting parents by running illegal and substandard schools, adding that the government would no longer tolerate such practices.
Odey explained that the closures followed an enforcement exercise carried out by the state task force on illegal schools, which was inaugurated earlier this month to sanitise the education sector.
“We have begun full-scale enforcement across the three educational zones in Calabar, Ikom, and Ogoja to ensure that only schools meeting the required standards are allowed to operate,” the commissioner stated.
According to the Ministry of Education, 16 of the affected schools were located in Calabar, 10 in Ikom, and another 10 in Ogoja—all found to be operating without government approval.
Odey reaffirmed the government’s commitment to quality education, stressing that only duly registered and accredited institutions would be permitted to operate. He urged parents and guardians to verify the approval status of schools before enrolling their children.
“This exercise will continue until every illegal school is either regularised or shut down. We are determined to protect the integrity of education in Cross River State,” he said.
The commissioner added that the enforcement drive would soon be extended to all 18 local government areas to ensure total compliance across the state.
