Southeast states battling to measure up in education sector
The education sector in the Southeast region has been in the state of mixed combination for a long time, as the current succeeding governors struggle to reshape it. The situation
The education sector in the Southeast region has been in the state of mixed combination for a long time, as the current succeeding governors struggle to reshape it. The situation has been the same from Abia, Anambra and Enugu with dilapidated buildings and lack of equipment bedeviling the schools from Primary, Secondary and higher institutions. Many parents had been forced to withdraw their children from public schools to either mission or private ones. Yet, the problems remain unsolved. However, kudos to the current governors for responding to the cries of the students and parents, Nwanosike Onu, Awka, Damian Duruiheoma, Enugu, Sunny Nwankwo, Umuahia, Elekwachi Chinedum, Onitsha report.
The Southeast states boast high literacy rates, including the nation’s highest in Imo State approximately 96.43% to 98% literacy, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and various surveys, with a strong emphasis on private education (42% of schools) and robust tertiary institutions. The region is a hub for academic development, though it faces challenges with school infrastructure and teacher training. The current administrations in the various states in the Southeast zone are doing everything possible to correct the imbalance in the states’ education system. The state governors have embarked on massive recruitment of teachers, increase in budgetary allocations and rehabilitation of many schools in their areas.
Abia records significant improvement in education
In Abia State, under the Governor Alex Otti-led government, which prides itself as a government that has huge interest in education, the storyline is being rewritten. A visit to some public schools in the state by The Nation, revealed a high growth in student population.
It was observed that in some schools, the state government is carrying out renovation work in some primary, secondary and tertiary institutions in the state.
However, there are some public schools in the state where the students are learning under harsh conditions as they are learning under the trees, while others are learning in classrooms without ceiling, thereby exposing them to excess heat. At some of the schools visited, children learn on bare floor, while some learn under dilapidated buildings.
At Central school, Ohuru-Ndoki in Ukwa East Local government Area, The Nation learnt that some students narrowly escaped being hurt as the ceiling of their classroom collapsed. There are also reported cases of flooding in their classrooms during rainy season.
The governor, in a media chat, disclosed that it allocated 20% of the state’s N1.016 trillion of 2026 budget worth N203.2 billion to education.
He also disclosed that the state is conducting a second batch of teacher recruitment to hire 4,000 new teachers for public primary and secondary schools, following an initial hiring of over 5,300 teachers.
The state recorded a massive increase in public school enrolment from about 17,000 to over 30,000 within one year of the administration.
He disclosed that the state is currently renovating and reconstructing over 222 primary and secondary schools across the state to improve educational infrastructure.
Also, the spokesman of the governor, Ukoha Kalu, throws more light on the development, adding that the administration is creating a conducive learning environment, aiming for a total transformation of the state’s education sector.
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He said: “Governor Otti, in fulfillment of his commitment to recover and remodel all state-owned tertiary institutions, “most of the college’s over 70 years old dilapidated structures left in ruins and despair by previous administrations will be reconstructed to create a better learning environment for the students.”
According to Ukoha, the Abia State College of Education (Technical), Arochukwu, has been “completely transformed,” while Abia State University, Uturu, is “under massive rehabilitation, reconstruction and construction.” He also noted that Abia State Polytechnic, Aba, has seen its temporary site transformed, with the permanent site undergoing “massive construction in preparation for relocation”.
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“In addition, the Abia State University Teaching Hospital, Aba, is currently under massive construction and upgrading,” the statement added.
Ukoha said the redevelopment of the College of Health Sciences, Aba, is part of a broader effort by the state government to reverse years of neglect in the education sector and reposition public institutions for improved academic standards and service delivery.
Anambra: Correcting the imbalance
Anambra State government has delved into recruitment of over 8,000 new teachers in the state to correct some of the anomalies and lack of teachers, especially in the rural areas.
The deplorable conditions of schools in the Southeast, made one of the university lecturers, Prof. Dennis Aribodor expressed concerns over what he described as sorry state of education in zone.
He identified underfunding, employment of quality as well as enhanced/proper remuneration of teachers as major factors. According to him, education underfunding in terms of infrastructure and teaching aids have reduced the quality of teaching and students’ performance.
His words: “Many school buildings have been taken over by bushes and rodents. Repairs of damaged structures haven’t received any attention by both government and communities as the case may be.
“Management of the schools is at the lowest ebb. Many schools are facing encroachments by land grabbers and alternative community projects.
“In the case of higher education, unnecessary proliferation of higher institutions without concomitant improvement in funding is destroying the quality of teaching and learning. Emphasis should be laid by the State Government on the improvement of quality of teaching and learning environment in these universities through improved funding and remuneration of staff.
“If possible, existing universities should be merged two to one, and allocation to the universities increased to meet the increasing student enrollment and overhead cost.
“Staff should be properly remunerated to encourage output. Approved staff, student ratio should be maintained for quality students’ performance.
“Following the 2026 state budgetary allocation to education, one may conclude that all will be well. But it has not started reflecting in Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University (COOU), Anambra State.
“The proposed expenditure/allocation to education in the state is a green flag which the state is yet to feel, especially as it concerns infrastructure and personnel COOU.
“Other levels of education are expectant too though basic education is getting its due from the UBEC scheme while the secondary education system, which presently lies in the hands of private managers, based on the state policy of returning schools back to original mission owners, are still calling for support.
“Summarily, education in the Southeast is not in good state. A lot is expected to be done by the state governments, from improving the low morale of teachers through provision of their take home pay to attract and get the best for the system to infrastructure, including modern teaching infrastructure, smart schools and welcoming environment.”
For Mr. Tony Okafor, one of the public affairs commentators, Anambra State government under the leadership of Prof. Chukwuma Soludo is setting benchmark for education in Nigeria.
He said Anambra has proved public education in Nigeria could thrive with visionary leadership and deliberate investment, urging other states to borrow a leaf from the state.
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“In my view, Anambra State is setting a benchmark for education in Nigeria, particularly under the leadership of Prof. Chukwuma Soludo.
“The administration’s decision to implement truly free education, eliminate hidden levies, and recruit over 8,000 teachers reflects a serious commitment to improving the quality of learning.
“The results speak for themselves. Public school enrolment reportedly increased by about 45 percent between 2022 and 2025, while Anambra continues to boast one of the lowest rates of out-of-school children in the country.
“This is a remarkable achievement in a nation still grappling with educational access. The state’s ambitions go beyond access.
“Upgrading 21 schools into smart institutions with modern digital tools and internet connectivity, coupled with a curriculum overhaul introducing 15 new entrepreneurial and trade subjects at the junior secondary level, signals a forward-thinking approach that prepares students for the realities of the 21st-century economy.
“Anambra’s commitment has not gone unnoticed nationally. Winning nine major awards at the 2025 President’s Teachers’ and Schools’ Excellence Awards underscores the tangible progress being made.
“The financial prioritisation is equally impressive, with nearly half of the 2026 budget reportedly dedicated to education—well above UNESCO’s recommended 15–20 per cent,” Okafor stated.
Enugu’s smart green schools drawing mixed reactions
The Smart Green Schools initiative in Enugu State, spearheaded by Governor Peter Mbah, is steadily reshaping the education landscape in the Southeast.
That innovation alone is drawing commendations, while also sparking conversations about sustainability and impact.
Launched as part of the administration’s broader education reform agenda, the Smart Green Schools are designed as fully equipped, technology-driven learning centres aimed at providing quality basic education across the state’s 260 political wards.
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Each school is conceived as a modern facility powered by renewable energy, with digital classrooms, laboratories and recreational spaces, marking a significant departure from the region’s long-standing challenges of dilapidated infrastructure and inadequate learning tools.
Education stakeholders say the initiative places Enugu State ahead of many Southeast states, where public school systems have struggled with underfunding, overcrowding, and declining learning outcomes over the years.
Speaking with The Nation, a public affairs analyst, Mr. Chinedu Okeke, described the project as “forward-thinking,” noting that it aligns with global trends in integrating technology into foundational education.
According to him, “If properly managed, these schools can bridge the digital divide and prepare students in Enugu to compete globally, which is something many states in the Southeast are yet to fully embrace.”
However, not all reactions have been entirely positive. A secondary school teacher in Nsukka, who preferred anonymity, expressed cautious optimism, warning that infrastructure alone may not solve systemic challenges in the education sector.
Similarly, a parent, Mr. Sunday Eze, commended the initiative but raised concerns about accessibility and long-term maintenance of the facilities, particularly in rural communities.
He noted that while the schools appear promising, “government must ensure that they are not only built but properly maintained and staffed so they do not become abandoned projects in the future.”
The state officially began the transition from existing primary and junior secondary schools to Smart Green Schools last September.
For Governor Mbah, “We are no longer a state waiting to be saved – we are a state shaping the future on our own terms. Africa today is the youngest continent in the world. More than 60 per cent of our people are under the age of 25.
“By 2050, our population will reach 2.5 billion, and one in every three young people on earth will be an African. This is a stark reminder that our future will be built by young hands.
“This is not just a statistic; it is a summons. It means that the destiny of African nations rests on what we nurture in the minds and hearts of our children.
“If we raise them well and give them opportunity, when they inherit tomorrow; when they own it; they will shape it and defend it. If we fail them, no number of slogans will save us.”
