The Cross River State Government has shut nine schools in Calabar Municipality after education authorities found that the institutions were operating without the required Approval to Operate, in the latest enforcement action aimed at strengthening regulation and standards across the state's education sector.
The enforcement exercise was carried out on Thursday, October 8, 2026, by the Quality Assurance Department of the Cross River State Ministry of Education.
The action forms part of an ongoing inspection programme designed to identify schools operating outside the state's approved regulatory framework and ensure that institutions providing education to children meet established requirements.
The state government said the latest exercise is intended to protect learners and ensure that schools provide safe, suitable and conducive environments for teaching and learning.
The nine schools affected are located in different parts of Calabar Municipality. They include VON Secondary School on Presbyterian Road, Faith Unity Nursery/Primary School on Old Adiabo Road, Ma'on Academy on Old Odukpani Road, Great Care International Nursery/Primary School, Richfield International Schools, Word of Faith Group of Schools, Child of Destiny, FINB-ALLEN School and Living Stars International Schools.
The government said the schools were sealed because they lacked the required Approval to Operate.
The Commissioner for Education, Senator Professor Stephen Odey, said the state would not compromise the standards required for schools to operate legally.
He explained that the inspection programme is designed to identify institutions operating outside the approved regulatory framework and ensure that proprietors comply with the requirements for running educational establishments.
The latest action follows earlier enforcement activity in Calabar South, where about 24 schools had previously been closed as part of the state's wider education-sector regulatory exercise.
The government said the latest closures should therefore be viewed as part of a continuing process rather than an isolated operation.
Authorities have warned proprietors of sealed schools not to reopen their institutions without government authorisation.
The warning is intended to prevent affected schools from resuming operations before meeting the requirements established by the Ministry of Education.
Operating an educational institution requires more than simply having classrooms and enrolling students. Regulatory authorities generally assess whether schools meet prescribed requirements relating to facilities, safety, staffing, administration and other conditions considered necessary for acceptable educational provision.
The Cross River government has said its inspections are aimed at ensuring that schools comply with those requirements.
For parents, the enforcement raises an important issue concerning the institutions they choose for their children.
Parents generally expect schools to operate legally and provide appropriate learning environments. Regulatory approval provides an important mechanism through which government authorities can establish whether institutions meet the conditions required to operate.
When a school operates without approval, parents may not know whether the institution has satisfied the state's requirements.
The government has therefore urged school proprietors across Cross River to obtain the necessary approval and maintain compliance with regulatory standards.
The enforcement also places responsibility on school owners to regularise their institutions where they are currently operating without the required authorisation.
According to the state government, proprietors of schools affected by the exercise will have an opportunity to regularise their operations and meet the relevant requirements.
However, the institutions are not permitted to reopen simply because they have been sealed. The government has specifically warned against reopening without authorisation.
The approach is intended to encourage compliance while maintaining the integrity of the regulatory system.
The closure of nine schools also has implications for pupils currently enrolled in the affected institutions.
When a school is closed by a regulatory authority, parents may need to seek information about alternative arrangements and the steps required for the institution to resume lawful operations.
The government has not indicated that the pupils themselves are responsible for the regulatory failures of their schools.
The enforcement is directed at school proprietors and administrators responsible for ensuring compliance with the requirements for operating educational institutions.
This distinction is important because students should not be treated as responsible for decisions made by school owners.
The state's stated objective is to ensure that learners are educated in environments that meet established standards.
The government said the inspection programme would continue across Cross River State's 18 local government areas.
That means additional schools could be inspected as authorities expand the regulatory exercise beyond Calabar Municipality.
Proprietors operating schools without the necessary approval have therefore been placed on notice that regulatory checks will continue.
The government has also urged school owners to ensure continuous compliance rather than seeking approval once and subsequently allowing standards to decline.
Maintaining educational standards requires ongoing attention to facilities, staffing, safety and other regulatory requirements.
A school that meets standards at the point of initial approval must continue to maintain those standards throughout its operation.
The emphasis on continuous compliance is therefore significant as the Cross River government expands its inspection activities.
The latest enforcement comes at a time when education authorities across Nigeria are facing increasing pressure to improve the quality and safety of learning environments.
The quality of education depends on several factors, including qualified teachers, appropriate infrastructure, suitable learning materials, effective administration and safe school environments.
Regulation provides government with a mechanism for monitoring whether private and public institutions are meeting prescribed requirements.
Private schools play an important role in Nigeria's education system, particularly in areas where demand for school places is high.
They provide education to large numbers of children and young people and can help expand access to schooling.
However, the expansion of private education also requires effective oversight to ensure that schools do not operate below established standards.
The Cross River government's latest action demonstrates the role of state education authorities in monitoring private institutions.
The decision to seal the nine schools followed an assessment by the Ministry of Education's Quality Assurance Department.
Quality assurance agencies are responsible for monitoring schools and identifying areas where institutions may fail to comply with government regulations.
Their work can include inspection of facilities, teaching arrangements, administrative systems and other aspects of school operations.
Where significant regulatory violations are identified, authorities may require corrective action.
In the latest Cross River case, the absence of the required Approval to Operate resulted in the closure of the affected schools.
The government has warned that reopening without authorisation could attract additional sanctions.
The warning is intended to ensure that school proprietors comply with the enforcement process.
It also signals that the state government intends to continue the regulatory exercise rather than treating the closure of the nine schools as the end of the process.
The Commissioner for Education said the government would sustain the inspections across all 18 local government areas.
This could result in further enforcement actions if additional institutions are found to be operating without approval.
For parents, the development provides a reminder to verify the regulatory status of schools before enrolling their children.
While school reputation, fees, academic performance and location are important considerations, regulatory approval is also relevant when evaluating an educational institution.
Parents who have concerns about the operation of a school can contact the appropriate state education authorities for clarification.
The Cross River Ministry of Education has also encouraged parents to report concerns about schools that may be operating outside government requirements.
The government's approach combines enforcement with an opportunity for proprietors to regularise their institutions.
This is important because the objective of regulation is not simply to close schools but to ensure that institutions operating in the education sector meet acceptable standards.
Where a school proprietor can satisfy the relevant requirements, the institution may be able to resume operations following the appropriate government authorisation.
However, until that process is completed, the affected schools remain prohibited from reopening.
The latest enforcement also reflects the importance of accountability in education.
Parents entrust schools with the education and welfare of their children, while school proprietors have a responsibility to comply with laws and regulations governing educational institutions.
Government authorities, in turn, have a responsibility to enforce those regulations fairly and consistently.
Effective enforcement can help prevent situations in which children are placed in unsuitable learning environments.
It can also encourage competition among schools based on quality rather than simply on accessibility or marketing.
The Cross River government has said its objective is to ensure that learners are taught in safe, conducive and suitable environments.
This places learner welfare at the centre of the regulatory exercise.
For pupils currently affected by the closures, the immediate priority will be continuity of education.
Parents and school administrators will need to follow developments concerning the regulatory process and any arrangements for affected learners.
The government has not announced a blanket relocation programme for pupils from the nine schools.
The specific consequences for individual learners may therefore depend on the circumstances of each institution and the steps taken by its proprietor.
The state government's decision to continue inspections across all 18 local government areas means that the issue could become broader in the coming weeks.
Schools that have not yet obtained the necessary approval may face pressure to regularise their operations before inspectors reach their areas.
The government has encouraged proprietors to obtain the required approvals and comply with the established standards.
For school owners, early compliance may help them avoid enforcement action and disruption to students.
For government authorities, consistent enforcement will be important to maintaining confidence in the regulatory system.
The latest closures also demonstrate that educational regulation is an ongoing responsibility rather than a one-time exercise.
As schools expand, relocate, change ownership or introduce new programmes, they may need to meet additional requirements established by education authorities.
Regular inspections can help identify problems before they become more serious.
The Cross River government's current campaign is therefore aimed at establishing a stronger culture of compliance among school proprietors.
The state has indicated that schools found operating outside the approved framework will be required to regularise their operations and meet prescribed standards.
Proprietors have also been warned that unauthorised reopening after closure could result in further sanctions.
The enforcement action in Calabar Municipality is consequently both a regulatory measure and a warning to other school operators across Cross River.
The government wants private education providers to understand that operating a school carries legal and regulatory responsibilities.
For families, the broader objective is to ensure that children receive their education in institutions that meet the standards established by the state.
The latest development also reinforces the importance of cooperation between parents, schools and education authorities.
Parents can report concerns, school proprietors can regularise their institutions, and regulators can investigate complaints and enforce the law.
When those responsibilities operate effectively, the education system is better positioned to protect learners.
Cross River State's latest enforcement exercise has now brought the number of schools affected by the recent regulatory campaign to several dozen, following earlier closures in Calabar South.
The government says the campaign will continue.
For the nine schools sealed in Calabar Municipality, the immediate requirement is to comply with the conditions set by the Ministry of Education before seeking authorisation to reopen.
For other school proprietors across the state, the message is clear: schools must obtain the required approval and continue to meet the standards established by the government.
As the inspection programme moves into other local government areas, education authorities are expected to maintain their focus on regulatory compliance, learner safety and the quality of teaching and learning environments.
The Cross River government has said the ultimate purpose of the exercise is to protect learners and strengthen the integrity of the state's education system.
The latest closure of nine schools therefore represents another stage in the state's broader effort to bring educational institutions into compliance with established standards while ensuring that children and young people learn in safe and suitable environments.