Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State has declared a state of emergency in the state’s education sector and approved the recruitment of an additional 2,000 teachers.
Mr Eno made the declaration on Monday 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 is the second state of emergency Mr Eno announced in his first term, after his administration declared a state of emergency in the health sector in September 2025.
“Other than the Ministry of Health, where we declared a state of emergency, I hereby declare a total state of emergency in the Akwa Ibom State educational system,” Mr Eno said.
The governor directed Deputy Governor, Akon Eyakenyi, to work with the Commissioner for Education, Ubong Umoh, to constitute a team to conduct a holistic review of the education sector and produce a comprehensive reform document.
“What should we do? What can we add? More schools for renovations in secondary schools and tertiary schools. We’ll look at it and come out with a comprehensive document. Just like we’ve done for the Ministry of Health,” he said.
2,000 additional teachers
Mr Eno said his administration had earlier approved the recruitment of 1,000 teachers and announced approval for another 2,000.
He said the recruitment portal would soon be opened, adding that applicants would undergo a Computer-Based Test (CBT) and oral interview.
The governor, however, cautioned applicants that performance in the CBT alone would not guarantee employment.
“That you scored 100 per cent in the CBT does not automatically convert to employment. The civil service has its rules,” he said.
“You need to read and acquaint yourself with the rules. Your appearance and the way you answer questions are very important. And your records must tally.”
Mr Eno said his administration had reduced the number of candidates who qualified for the oral interview from about 12,000 to 4,000 successful applicants.
“People sent me chats and said I scored 93%, and I don’t know why they didn’t take me. Then, I sent your name to the Civil Service Commission, and the commission sent me the assessment of all the people who were on the panel,” he said.
The governor’s comments come amid questions over the recent recruitment exercise from some unsuccessful applicants.
‘Education is the pillar of our governance blueprint’
Mr Eno said education remained a central component of his administration’s economic blueprint, ARISE Agenda.
He said his administration had built and furnished 38 model primary schools, including at least one in each of the state’s 31 local government areas.
According to him, the schools are solar-powered and ICT-enabled, with teachers’ residences, sick bays and libraries.
He also said the government had released N15 billion as a matching grant to the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), while the state had continued to pay examination fees for candidates sitting the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and National Examinations Council (NECO) examinations.
“To date, we’ve registered 172,000 for these examinations,” he said.
Mr Eno also announced the upgrade of the Akwa Ibom State College of Education to a university and named Philip Afaha, a professor, as the pioneer Vice-Chancellor of the new Akwa Ibom University of Education.
The latest emergency declaration marks the second major sector-wide emergency declared by Mr Eno since assuming office in May 2023.
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Mr Eno said the education emergency would require accountability from teachers as well as reforms by the government.
“I want our teachers to be held accountable in teaching our students. I want them to continue doing training and retraining. I want our teachers to be in schools and stay in schools. A lot of reforms must come in. To whom much is given, much is expected,” he said.
He pledged to digitise the state’s education system and raise its standard if re-elected for a second term.
Akwa Ibom was in the spotlight recently following the poor performance of its students in public examinations. The state’s performance in 2026 NECO examination plunged from 12th nationally in 2025 to 36th, raising fresh questions about the implementation of its decade-long education roadmap, teacher interventions and spending priorities.
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