Reported by Simon Daniel Yusuph l Journalist at Weng Global
The Cross River State Government has shut down 58 unapproved schools across four local government areas as part of an ongoing crackdown on institutions operating without the required Approval to Operate (ATO), the state government said on Saturday, October 10, 2026.
The enforcement exercise affects schools in Calabar South, Calabar Municipality, Odukpani and Yakurr, where the Ministry of Education is intensifying inspections to ensure that educational institutions comply with the state’s operational requirements.
Cross River State Commissioner for Education, Senator Professor Stephen Odey, disclosed the development in Calabar, explaining that the exercise was designed to strengthen oversight, protect pupils and students, and ensure that schools provide suitable environments for teaching and learning. The report was carried by the News Agency of Nigeria and published by several Nigerian media organisations.
The crackdown forms part of the state government’s wider effort to regulate private education and prevent institutions from operating without the necessary authorisation.
The government has warned school proprietors against reopening sealed institutions without official approval, stressing that compliance with the prescribed requirements remains necessary for any school seeking to operate in the state.
Four Local Government Areas Affected
The latest enforcement exercise covers four local government areas in Cross River State: Calabar South, Calabar Municipality, Odukpani and Yakurr.
According to reports of the announcement, the Department of Quality Assurance within the Ministry of Education is leading the inspections and closure operations.
The department is responsible for monitoring compliance with educational standards and identifying institutions operating without the required approval.
The affected local government areas include urban communities around Calabar and neighbouring areas where private schools provide educational services to children and young people.
The closure of 58 institutions represents a significant enforcement action, although the government has not provided a complete breakdown in the reports reviewed showing how many schools were sealed in each of the four local government areas.
The authorities have also not established publicly, in the material reviewed, whether all the affected institutions had previously applied for approval, had their applications rejected or had continued operating without seeking authorisation.
Those distinctions matter because individual schools may face different administrative circumstances, even where the immediate enforcement action concerns the absence of the required approval.
The government has made clear, however, that institutions must meet the applicable requirements before operating.
Why the Government Is Closing Unapproved Schools
The Cross River State Government says the exercise is intended to protect learners and improve standards across the education sector.
Schools are expected to satisfy applicable requirements governing their establishment and operation before admitting pupils and students.
The approval process provides a mechanism through which the relevant authorities can assess whether an institution meets the state’s prescribed conditions.
Such oversight is important because children spend a substantial part of their formative years in educational institutions, where the quality of facilities, teaching and administration can affect their learning and welfare.
Where schools operate outside the regulatory system, education authorities may face difficulties monitoring their compliance with established standards.
The government has therefore positioned the crackdown as an effort to ensure that institutions operate within the approved framework.
However, the absence of an Approval to Operate does not, by itself, establish that every affected school has poor teachers, unsafe buildings or inadequate learning materials. Those specific conditions would need to be assessed individually.
The immediate issue identified by the state is the failure of the affected institutions to possess the required authorisation.
A comprehensive assessment of the exercise would also require information about the inspection findings, the compliance requirements each school failed to meet and the procedures available to proprietors seeking approval.
Education Commissioner Warns School Proprietors
Professor Stephen Odey has reiterated that the government will not compromise the standards required to establish and manage educational institutions in Cross River State.
He said the operation was not intended to target or persecute school proprietors but to ensure that every institution complied with the rules governing the education sector.
The commissioner also warned that schools sealed by the government must not reopen without authorisation from the relevant authorities.
The warning places responsibility on school owners to establish their compliance status and obtain the necessary approval before resuming operations.
For proprietors whose institutions have been closed, the immediate priority is to clarify their regulatory position with the Ministry of Education and determine what steps, if any, are required to satisfy the state’s conditions.
The government has indicated that enforcement will continue across the state’s 18 local government areas until the objectives of the exercise are achieved.
That means the current closures may form part of a broader inspection programme rather than a one-off operation limited to the four affected local government areas.
The precise timetable for subsequent inspections and any further closures has not been established in the reports reviewed.
What the Crackdown Means for Pupils and Parents
The closure of schools can create immediate challenges for families, particularly where parents have already paid fees or made arrangements for their children’s education.
Pupils and students attending affected institutions may need to find alternative schools if their existing institutions remain closed.
The situation could also disrupt lessons, examinations, transportation arrangements and other activities associated with the academic calendar.
For families, identifying an alternative institution may involve additional expenses and logistical difficulties, especially where approved schools are located farther from their homes.
The government has presented the enforcement exercise as a measure to protect learners by ensuring that educational institutions operate within the required framework.
However, the practical impact on children will depend partly on how quickly affected families receive clear information and can arrange continued schooling.
Parents should establish whether their children’s schools are among those affected and seek confirmation of the closure status from the relevant education authorities.
They should also verify the approval status of any alternative school before transferring their children.
The Cross River State Ministry of Education maintains information about approved schools, which can help parents check whether an institution appears on the state’s published lists.
Such verification is particularly important when choosing a replacement institution under time pressure.
Why Approval to Operate Matters
An Approval to Operate is an important part of the regulatory framework governing schools in Cross River State.
It establishes that an institution has obtained the required authorisation to operate under the state’s rules.
For school proprietors, securing approval is part of the responsibility of establishing and managing an educational institution. For government authorities, the process provides a basis for monitoring compliance and enforcing minimum requirements.
The state’s published lists of approved schools provide parents with a reference point when assessing educational options. However, parents should confirm an institution’s current status with the Ministry where its listing or approval is unclear.
Effective regulation requires more than closing institutions that lack approval. It also requires clear application procedures, timely communication, consistent inspections and a practical route for eligible proprietors to meet the requirements.
Where institutions can correct identified deficiencies and qualify for approval, transparent guidance can help them understand the steps needed to comply.
At the same time, the enforcement of regulations is important to ensure that schools do not continue operating indefinitely without the required authorisation.
The challenge for the government is to maintain these standards while minimising avoidable disruption to children’s education.
A Wider Education Reform Effort
The latest closures follow a series of enforcement operations announced by the Cross River State Government in recent days.
On October 7, the government reported that 14 schools had been sealed in Calabar South for operating without the required approval.
On October 8, authorities announced the closure of nine schools in Calabar Municipality. A further enforcement report on October 9 identified 15 unapproved schools in Calabar Municipality, Odukpani and Yakurr.
On October 10, the government also announced the closure of another 20 institutions in Calabar Municipality, Calabar South, Odukpani and Akamkpa.
These reports indicate that the government has been conducting successive inspections across different locations as part of the wider education-sector cleanup.
However, the reported figures cover different enforcement exercises and locations. They should not automatically be added together to produce a statewide total without confirming that the lists do not overlap and that each figure refers to a distinct group of schools.
The announcement that 58 schools have been shut down across four local government areas is the central figure in the latest report.
The government has not provided, in the material reviewed, a consolidated list establishing the full number of unique schools closed under the entire current programme.
A comprehensive public record would help parents, school proprietors and other stakeholders understand the scale of the enforcement exercise.
Balancing Regulation With Continuity of Education
The closure of unapproved schools raises an important public-interest question: how can authorities enforce education standards while ensuring that children continue learning?
The government has a responsibility to ensure that schools operate within the law and meet the requirements established for educational institutions.
Parents also need reliable information to make decisions about where their children should study.
Where a school is closed, clear communication about the reason for the action, the status of the institution and the process for resolving outstanding compliance issues can help families make informed choices.
Education authorities can also reduce confusion by providing updated lists of approved institutions and explaining how parents can verify a school’s status.
For affected proprietors, clear guidance on the application process and applicable requirements may help those eligible to regularise their operations.
These measures would complement enforcement by addressing the information needs of families and institutions.
The effectiveness of the crackdown will ultimately depend not only on the number of schools sealed but also on whether the exercise improves compliance, strengthens oversight and supports access to suitable education.
What Happens Next?
The Cross River State Government says the enforcement exercise will continue across the state’s 18 local government areas until the objectives of the education-sector cleanup are achieved.
School proprietors whose institutions have been sealed will need to contact the appropriate education authorities to clarify their status and determine the steps required before any resumption of operations.
Parents and guardians should confirm whether their children’s schools are affected and identify approved alternatives where necessary.
Further inspections and enforcement actions may follow as the Ministry of Education continues its monitoring activities, although the precise schedule for future operations has not been announced in the reports reviewed.
The government has not provided a complete public breakdown of the 58 closures by local government area or a consolidated list of all the affected schools in the latest announcement.
Making that information available would help parents identify affected institutions, reduce confusion and allow proprietors to understand the regulatory action taken against them.
For now, the closure of 58 unapproved schools marks a substantial step in Cross River State’s effort to enforce education regulations.
The long-term test will be whether the exercise leads to stronger school oversight, improved compliance and learning environments that meet the requirements set by the authorities, while ensuring that affected children can continue their education.
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Sources
- Cross River State Government, Ministry of Information — Reports on the closure of 58 unapproved schools and ongoing education-sector enforcement.
- Cross River State Ministry of Education — Official information on approved schools.
- Vanguard — Reporting on the closure of 58 unapproved schools.
- P.M. News — Reporting on the statewide crackdown.
- Cross River State Government — Updates on school closures announced on October 7, 8, 9 and 10, 2026.
