Education stakeholders have reiterated their commitment to enhancing quality assurance in primary and secondary schools as part of efforts to improve learning outcomes in Cross River State, south-south Nigeria.
The commitment was made during the maiden education sectoral meeting presided over by the Commissioner for Education, Professor Stephen Odey, in Calabar, the state capital.w
In his keynote address, Professor Odey said the Ministry, with the approval of Governor Bassey Otu, is implementing new reforms to address registration for key examinations, tackle the imposition of illegal charges, and enforce other measures to ensure quality assurance across schools.
Professor Odey described the meeting as a strategic platform to review progress in the sector and chart a clear direction for the year ahead, stressing that education was the backbone of societal development.
He stated, “Education remains the backbone of societal development, and under the leadership of Governor Bassey Otu, expectations from the sector are very high. We must, therefore, work collectively to meet those expectations.”
“The slow pace of registration for the Primary Six Placement Examination, JSS3 (Junior Secondary School – 3), Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), and SS2 (Senior Secondary – 2) Mock Examinations is unacceptable. School heads must desist from withholding registration fees or imposing illegal charges. Such practices must stop immediately,” the Commissioner warned.
Professor Odey urged the heads of public and private schools to ensure all necessary documents for the registration of new students were in order to strengthen transparency and curb malpractice in the system.
WAEC Sponsorship
The Education Commissioner also disclosed that the governor, who received a list of 13,289 indigenous Senior Secondary Three students for the 2026 government-sponsored West African Examinations Council (WAEC) registration, had approved payments to be made.
According to him, the number of registrants for 2026 was far below the registration for WAEC in 2025, attributing the drop to the use of “special examination centres” by parents and guardians of SS3 students.
He also noted that the ongoing reforms in the education sector aimed to strengthen quality assurance and maintain standards, introducing the new Head of the Quality Assurance Department to the gathering.
Professor Odey urged, “You must do the needful to strengthen monitoring mechanisms across schools. Do not cut corners. The Federal Ministry of Education has also issued a circular on reforms schools across Nigeria should implement. We are complying by implementing them.”
The stakeholders, including the Chairman of the Cross River State chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Emmanuel Olayi, and the Special Adviser to the Governor on Education, Affiong Ugbaja, applauded the government for taking measures to reposition the sector and improve standards in all schools.