The Kwara State Government has ordered the immediate closure of the Kwara State College of Education, Oro, citing worsening security concerns in the area.
Checks revealed that the closure may be linked to similar precautionary steps earlier taken by the state government, including the relocation of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) orientation camp from Yikpata in Edu Local Government Area to Ilorin, as well as the temporary shutdown of some schools in volatile parts of the state.
The decision comes amid heightened insecurity across parts of Kwara South and Kwara North, where communities have recorded incidents of banditry, kidnappings and other criminal activities in recent months.
The directive was contained in an internal memo dated January 20, 2026, with reference number MOTE/CE/VOL.II/227, issued by the Ministry of Tertiary Education, Science and Technology and made available to journalists in Ilorin on Thursday.
The memo, signed by the Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Hajia Sa’adatu Modibbo Kawu, directed the management of the institution to shut down all academic activities with immediate effect, in compliance with the instruction of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.
According to the document, the decision followed growing security threats around the institution and forms part of a broader directive to close all schools within the affected local government area.
“The measure is taken in the best interest of the safety and security of staff, students and the surrounding community,” the memo stated.
It added that the closure would remain in force pending a comprehensive security review and further directives from the state government, while mandating the school’s management to submit a compliance report to the ministry without delay.
However, the closure has drawn criticism from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which urged the state government to adopt stronger and more proactive security measures.
In a statement signed by its State Publicity Secretary, Olusegun Olusola Adewara, the PDP described the closure as an admission of failure by the government.
“The directive to shut down the College of Education, Oro, under the guise of insecurity shows that the government has no coherent strategy for tackling insecurity and has instead chosen to surrender to criminals,” the party said.
The PDP warned that the institution serves as a critical educational and economic backbone for Kwara South, adding that its closure could worsen hardship in the region.
“Education must not become the casualty of insecurity. A government that claims to be addressing security challenges cannot justify closing schools while markets and other public places remain open,” the statement added.
The party called on traditional rulers, community leaders and other stakeholders to intervene and speak out against what it described as a dangerous precedent capable of undermining education and economic stability in Kwara South.
Hammed Shittu in Ilorin
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