The Cross River State Government has closed 69 unapproved schools across the state as part of an ongoing effort to sanitise its education sector.
In separate statements issued on 21 and 22 October, the state’s Ministry of Education said the two-day enforcement exercise was approved by Governor Bassey Otu following consultations with the State Executive Council.
According to the ministry, a task force inaugurated by the Commissioner for Education, Stephen Odey, sealed off 36 illegal schools on 20 October and an additional 33 schools the following day.
The operation targeted institutions operating without the mandatory Approval to Operate certificate across the state’s three major education zones. The Calabar zone recorded the highest number of closures with 15 schools shut, followed by the Ikom zone in Boki Local Government Area with nine, and the Ogoja zone covering Ogoja/Yala Local Government Areas with eight.
Mr Odey described the move as corrective, not punitive, stressing that the goal was to ensure schools meet approved standards to guarantee quality learning environments.
“Our goal is to protect children from substandard learning conditions and uphold the integrity of our education system,” he said. “Every school must meet the required standards before operating in Cross River State.”
The ministry urged proprietors of unapproved schools to regularise their operations immediately or face permanent closure. It also noted that enforcement will continue across all educational zones until the sector is fully sanitised and aligned with national standards.
The closures have temporarily displaced some students, leaving parents and guardians scrambling to enrol their children in approved schools.
