Benue Government Shuts Down School for Substandard Operations
The Benue State government has closed the Benedictine Order of Peace and Unity Academy Foundation in Nyiman, Makurdi, for failing to meet educational standards. The Bureau for Education Quality Assurance (BEQA) revealed that the school was operating in an uncompleted hotel building without a curriculum, qualified teachers, or proper registration.
Chris Oyeoku Okafor 
The Benue State government has sealed the Benedictine Order of Peace and Unity Academy Foundation, located in Nyiman, Makurdi, for failing to meet educational standards. The Bureau for Education Quality Assurance (BEQA) led the closure under the directive of its Director General, Terna Francis, on Monday.
According to Mr. Francis, the school was operating in an uncompleted hotel building, lacking essential educational infrastructure. He noted that the institution had no curriculum, lesson plans, or qualified teachers and was running three separate schools within the same unfinished structure. The Benedictine Order Academy was also unregistered and not recognized by the state government.
Mr. Francis stated, "This school no longer exists as an educational institution. We are enforcing our authority to shut down schools that fail to meet the required standards for the safety and quality education of children."
The Benue government has identified 2,416 illegal schools operating within the state. Proprietors of these institutions have been issued notices to either meet the state's educational standards or face closure. Mr. Francis urged parents to withdraw their children from unapproved schools and enroll them in government-certified institutions.
Ternongo Mede, General Manager of the Benue Urban Development Board, emphasized that the uncompleted building where the school was housed had not passed a fitness test for educational use. He warned that such structures pose risks to children and should not be used as learning environments.
However, the school's founder, Elias Torugh, acknowledged the challenges but insisted that they were temporarily using the building due to a recent eviction from their previous location. He stated that the Benedictine Order, which runs the school, was not officially affiliated with any Catholic diocese in Nigeria.
The Benue State government remains committed to ensuring that all schools within the state comply with educational standards for the benefit of students.
