Akwa Ibom State Government has shut down 326 illegal schools across the state over breaches including operating without approval, using unauthorised premises and providing substandard learning environments.
The Commissioner for Education, Ubong Umoh, disclosed this during a ministerial media briefing in Uyo, according to Channels Television.
The enforcement exercise began after proprietors of unapproved schools were given time to regularise their operations. The government said inspections uncovered schools where Primary One to Primary Six classes were being taught in a single classroom.
Officials also found teachers with only primary or secondary school qualifications teaching pupils, while some schools were operating from churches, bedrooms, two-bedroom flats and one-room self-contained apartments converted into makeshift classrooms.
More schools shut in new enforcement exercise
Umoh said the government has commenced another enforcement exercise for the 2026/2027 academic session, with more than 15 schools shut within the first two days.
He warned that proprietors who reopen schools after they have been sealed will be handed over to the police for prosecution.
The commissioner urged parents to confirm the approval status of schools before enrolling their children. He also encouraged members of the public to report schools, principals or teachers collecting unauthorised levies.
Government reports rehabilitation of 199 schools
The commissioner also disclosed that the Akwa Ibom State Universal Basic Education Board (AKSUBEB) had rehabilitated 199 primary and junior secondary schools over three years.
The projects included improvements to classrooms, administrative blocks, perimeter fencing, water supply and toilet facilities.
AKSUBEB also distributed 406,450 teaching and learning materials, including textbooks, curriculum guides, desks, chairs and other equipment.
The state government said it is also implementing a whole-school intervention programme covering security, water, sanitation, solar lighting and teachers’ accommodation.
It further disclosed that ₦32.9 million was released in 2023 and ₦67 million in 2024 as special grants for students with disabilities, while ₦1.6 billion was released for bursary payments to students across various institutions.
