4,000 Substandard Schools Found Across Benue State
Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, has revealed the discovery of about 4,000 mushroom schools, informal, unregulated institutions lacking qualified teachers and suitable learning environments. The schools, he said, are not conducive for learning and fail to meet basic educational standards.
This alarming revelation directly undermines children’s right to quality, safe, and equitable education, as enshrined in Nigeria’s Child Rights Act and international child protection frameworks. Education in such environments deprives children of the foundational skills and developmental support they are entitled to.
Speaking through his Chief Press Secretary, Kula Tersoo, during a media briefing, the governor emphasized that while a course of action for these schools is yet to be disclosed, the state government has already taken concrete steps to improve the public education system.
Among the key interventions:
- 9,700 qualified teachers have been recruited into primary schools to address the teacher deficit and raise instructional quality.
- External exam fees were fully covered for approximately 19,000 students who sat WAEC, NECO, and NABTEB in the 2023/2024 session, removing financial barriers to certification.
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The administration cleared a 38-month backlog of earned allowances owed to staff of Moses Adasu University, ensuring stability in the tertiary education sector.
Governor Alia stated, “Our tertiary institutions have had uninterrupted academic sessions since this administration came into office,” crediting the reforms for this progress.
