From Exam Setback To Reform: Eno Declares Emergency In Akwa Ibom Education
By EFFANGA OSOK
Government Orders Broad Education Review
AKWA Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno, has declared a state of emergency in the education sector and approved the recruitment of an additional 2,000 teachers.
Eno made the announcement at the Uyo Township Stadium during the 2026 International Teachers’ Day celebration, which the state government declared a work-free day for teachers.
The declaration comes amid renewed concerns about the performance of Akwa Ibom students in public examinations.
The state reportedly dropped from 12th nationally in the 2025 National Examinations Council examination to 36th in 2026, prompting questions about the effectiveness of existing education interventions and spending.
Deputy Governor to Lead Reform Review
Eno directed Deputy Governor Akon Eyakenyi to work with the Commissioner for Education, Ubong Umoh, to constitute a team for a comprehensive review of the sector.
The team is expected to assess the state of education and produce a reform document outlining areas requiring immediate intervention.
According to the governor, the review will cover infrastructure and other challenges affecting secondary and tertiary institutions.
He said the approach would mirror the comprehensive review undertaken after the administration declared a state of emergency in the health sector in September 2025.
“I hereby declare a total state of emergency in the Akwa Ibom State educational system,” Eno said.
More Teachers for Public Schools
The governor also announced approval for another 2,000 teachers.
He said the administration had earlier approved the recruitment of 1,000 teachers, bringing the newly announced recruitment effort to an additional 2,000 positions.
The recruitment portal, he said, would soon open.
Applicants will undergo a Computer-Based Test and an oral interview. However, Eno warned that a high CBT score would not automatically guarantee employment.
He stressed that candidates must also satisfy civil service requirements and perform satisfactorily during the oral assessment.
Recruitment Process Faces Scrutiny
The governor’s comments come against the backdrop of complaints from some unsuccessful applicants in the recent recruitment exercise.
Eno said the number of candidates who progressed to the oral interview stage had been reduced from about 12,000 to 4,000.
He explained that complaints from applicants who performed well in the CBT prompted him to seek the assessment records from the Civil Service Commission.
The development places greater attention on the transparency and administration of the recruitment process as the state prepares to recruit more teachers.
Infrastructure & Examination Support
Eno also highlighted existing government interventions in the education sector.
He said the administration had built and furnished 38 model primary schools, with at least one located in each of the state’s 31 local government areas.
According to him, the schools have solar power, information and communication technology facilities, libraries, sick bays and teachers’ residences.
The government has also released N15 billion as a matching grant to the State Universal Basic Education Board.
Furthermore, the state continues to pay examination fees for students sitting the West African Senior School Certificate Examination and NECO examinations.
Eno said the government had so far registered 172,000 candidates for the examinations.
College of Education Gets University Status
The governor further announced the upgrade of the Akwa Ibom State College of Education to a university.
He named Professor Philip Afaha as the pioneer Vice-Chancellor of the newly established Akwa Ibom University of Education.
The development forms part of the administration’s broader effort to strengthen teacher education and expand tertiary-level capacity.
Accountability Becomes Central to Emergency
Beyond infrastructure and recruitment, Eno said the education emergency would require greater accountability from teachers and stronger institutional reforms.
He urged teachers to remain in schools, improve their professional capacity and participate in continuous training and retraining.
The governor also pledged to digitise the state’s education system and improve its overall standard.
For the administration, the emergency declaration therefore represents a shift from individual interventions towards a wider review of how the education sector is managed, staffed and evaluated.
