Akwa Ibom Govt. shuts 326 illegal schools
The Akwa Ibom State Government has shut down 326 illegal schools operating across the state over violations of approval requirements and poor learning conditions.
According to the government, the affected schools were closed for operating without approval, violating conditions attached to their approval, operating from unauthorised locations and providing substandard learning environments.
The Commissioner for Education, Ubong Umoh, disclosed this on Monday during a ministerial media briefing in Uyo.
He said the ministry commenced the enforcement exercise in September and October 2025 after giving proprietors of unapproved schools sufficient time to regularise their operations.
Umoh explained that the exercise was aimed at protecting pupils and students from unsafe learning environments and ensuring compliance with approved educational standards.
According to him, inspections revealed that some schools had teachers whose qualifications were limited to primary or secondary education, while some had Primary One to Primary Six pupils learning in a single classroom.
Umoh added that some unapproved schools operated from churches, residential buildings, bedrooms, two-bedroom flats and one-room self-contained apartments converted into makeshift classrooms.
He disclosed that the enforcement had continued into the 2026/2027 academic session, with more than 15 additional schools shut within the first two days of the exercise.
The commissioner warned proprietors against reopening schools sealed by the government, saying those who violated the directive were handed over to the police for prosecution.
He urged parents to verify the approval status of schools before enrolling their children, adding that the state government was investing in public schools while implementing its free and compulsory education policy.
Umoh also urged members of the public to report schools, principals or teachers collecting unauthorised levies from pupils and students.
On infrastructure development, he said the Akwa Ibom State Universal Basic Education Board had completed the rehabilitation of 199 primary and junior secondary schools across the state over three years.
He said the interventions covered classrooms, administrative blocks, perimeter fencing, water supply and toilet facilities, while 406,450 teaching and learning materials, including textbooks, curriculum guides, desks and chairs, had been distributed.
Umoh further disclosed that the government was adopting a whole-school intervention model under which selected schools would receive comprehensive improvements covering security, water, sanitation, solar lighting and teachers’ accommodation.
He added that students with disabilities had received special grants, with N32.9 million approved and released in 2023 and N67 million in 2024.