Benue Discovers 4,000 Substandard Schools

Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, has revealed the existence of around 4,000 substandard or “mushroom” schools across the state. Speaking through his Chief Press Secretary, Kula Tersoo, during a media briefing on thursday outlining the administration’s achievements in the education sector over the past two years, the governor noted that these schools lack proper learning environments and qualified teachers.

Although he did not disclose the government’s planned response to the situation, Tersoo announced that 9,700 qualified teachers have been employed in primary schools to strengthen the state’s education system.

Highlighting further efforts, the governor stated that the government covered the external examination fees for nearly 19,000 students in the 2023/2024 academic year. This includes 8,119 candidates for the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), 8,979 for the National Examination Council (NECO), and 1,547 for the National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB).

Additionally, Governor Alia reported that the government had cleared 38 months of earned allowance arrears for staff at Moses Adasu University (formerly Benue State University).

He emphasized that these efforts have brought stability to the state’s tertiary education institutions, which have enjoyed uninterrupted academic sessions since the start of his administration.

The governor also announced that his administration has obtained a license to establish a State University of Technology in Ihugh, located in the Vandeikya Local Government Area.