Governor Alia uncovers 4,000 unapproved schools in Benue, vows to fix educational shortfalls statewide.
He highlights teacher recruitment, exam fee support, and plans for a new University of Technology.
Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, has revealed that his administration has discovered nearly 4,000 poorly equipped and unapproved schools across the state.
The governor, represented by his Chief Press Secretary, Kula Tersoo, made the disclosure on Thursday while outlining his achievements in the education sector over the past two years.
According to him, the identified schools, often described as mushroom schools, lack proper learning environments and do not employ qualified teachers.
Although he did not provide details on what steps the government would take regarding these substandard institutions, the governor noted that his administration had already recruited 9,700 qualified teachers to improve the standard of primary education across Benue.
He also highlighted that in the 2023/2024 academic year, the state government covered the external exam fees for around 19,000 students who took part in national examinations. These include 8,119 candidates for the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), 8,979 for the National Examinations Council (NECO), and 1,547 for the National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB).
Governor Alia further stated that his government had addressed a long-standing financial issue at the Moses Adasu University, formerly known as Benue State University. The administration cleared a 38-month backlog of earned allowances owed to the university staff.
He said, “Our government has brought stability to the education sector. Since we came into office, institutions of higher learning have been operating without interruptions. One major step was the full payment of the 38-month earned allowances previously owed to lecturers at the State University.”
He added, “To strengthen basic education, we have hired 9,700 trained primary school teachers. We have also discovered 4,000 schools that fall below minimum standards and do not employ qualified staff.”
In a major step to expand access to higher education, the governor announced that the state had secured approval to establish a new State University of Technology. The institution will be located in Ihugh, within the Vandeikya Local Government Area.
