By Obiageli Nwankwo
The Anambra State Commissioner for Education, Dr. Ekene Ogugua, has directed Zonal Education Officers (ZEOs) and Area Education Officers (AEOs) to intensify efforts to ensure full compliance with the ongoing National School Census, warning that persistent failure to meet the requirements will attract sanctions.
Dr. Ogugua gave the directive on Oct. 27 during an emergency stakeholders’ meeting with the officers at the State Secretariat Complex, Awka, where he expressed concern over Anambra’s reported 75–76 per cent compliance rate and called for urgent measures to close the existing gaps.
The commissioner noted that several schools, particularly privately owned institutions, had yet to upload their required data despite training and sensitisation efforts that began in May.
He questioned the effectiveness of supervision and follow up by officers responsible for ensuring that schools within their respective jurisdictions complied with the exercise.
Dr. Ogugua emphasised that accurate and comprehensive school data were critical to effective education planning, equitable resource allocation and access to relevant Federal Government interventions, including the HOPE Education programme.
He explained that incomplete records could affect the state’s ability to plan effectively and benefit from programmes designed to improve educational outcomes, stressing that all eligible schools must be properly captured in the national database.
To address the gaps, the commissioner directed the ZEOs and AEOs to return to their respective areas and ensure that every school under their supervision completed registration and uploaded the required information within the stipulated timeframe.
He instructed them to identify and report illegal schools operating within their jurisdictions as part of efforts to strengthen monitoring, accountability and compliance with established education regulations.
The commissioner warned that schools that failed to comply with the census requirements would face a ₦500,000 penalty, while officers whose areas continued to record poor performance could face performance reviews and possible redeployment.
He challenged the officials to raise the state’s compliance rate towards the target of 90–95 per cent, noting that the officers had received adequate training and guidance and were expected to demonstrate measurable progress.
Dr. Ogugua urged the education officials to treat the census as a priority, noting that reliable data would enable the state to identify educational needs, improve planning and ensure that interventions reach the schools and learners who need them.
He stressed that stronger supervision and timely compliance were essential to improving the quality of education and advancing the state’s educational development.
Obiageli Nwankwo is of the Ministry of Information and Value Reformation, Anambra State
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