Cross River govt shuts down 36 illegal schools in three LGAs
The Cross River State Government has shut down 36 illegal schools operating without approval across three local government areas of the state.
According to a statement on the Ministry of Education’s official website, the affected institutions — including both primary and secondary schools — were discovered to be running without proper registration or authorization.
Confirming the development on Tuesday, October 21, Commissioner for Education, Professor Stephen Odey, described the situation as “unfortunate,” noting that some individuals were taking advantage of unsuspecting parents by operating unlicensed schools.
The closures were carried out by the State Task Force on Illegal Schools, inaugurated earlier this month. Odey warned that the ministry would no longer tolerate unauthorized or “mushroom” schools within the state’s education system.
He explained that the enforcement has begun across the state’s three educational zones—Calabar, Ikom, and Ogoja—to “sanitize the system and ensure that only schools meeting the required standards are allowed to operate.”
The Ministry’s publication specified the locations of the shut schools: 16 were located in Calabar, 10 in Ikom, and another 10 in Ogoja.
Reaffirming the government’s commitment to quality education, Professor Odey stressed that only duly registered and accredited schools will be permitted to function. He advised parents and guardians to verify the approval status of schools before enrolling their children, warning that the enforcement exercise will be extended to all 18 local government areas in the state.
Odey concluded by stating the government’s determination: “This exercise will continue until every illegal school is either regularized or shut down. We are determined to protect the integrity of education in Cross River State.”
