The Kwara State Government has directed the reopening of the College of Education, Oro, in Irepodun Local Government Area, after about three months of closure due to security concerns.
The reopening followed what the government described as improved security conditions across parts of the state.
The directive was conveyed in an internal memorandum on Monday and sighted by The PUNCH.
The memo, referenced CEO/ADMIN/27/Vol.1/268 and dated 2 February 2026, by the Deputy Registrar, Information, Protocol and Publicity, Mrs Lawal Saka-Bolanta.
Addressed to staff and students and issued from the Office of the Registrar, the memorandum announced that the institution had resumed academic and administrative activities with immediate effect.
‘In line with the directive of His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Kwara State, Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, I write to inform staff and students of the re-opening of the college with immediate effect’, the memo read.
It added that academic and administrative activities would commence immediately, while the management expressed appreciation to the state government, the Ministry of Tertiary Education and other stakeholders for their support.
The development followed an announcement by the Kwara State Government on Sunday that schools across the state would reopen from Monday, 2 February 2026, after months of closure occasioned by insecurity.
The decision was contained in a statement by the Press Secretary of the Ministry of Education and Human Capital Development, Mr Peter Amogbonjaye, quoting the Commissioner for Education, Dr Lawal Olohungbebe.
According to the statement, school authorities statewide had been notified of the reopening.
‘The government deems the situation now to be a lot better than it was before. Even so, we continue to maintain vigilance’, the commissioner was quoted as saying.
The statement added that security operations were ongoing to sustain recent gains, while efforts were also being intensified to strengthen community resilience alongside kinetic operations by security agencies.
The PUNCH had earlier reported that the College of Education, Oro, was shut following security threats in the area, forcing students to vacate the campus and raising concerns among parents and education stakeholders.
The reopening comes months after the state government ordered the closure of primary and secondary schools in November 2025 due to escalating insecurity, particularly in border and forested communities affected by banditry and kidnapping.
At the time, the government said the closures were precautionary measures to safeguard learners, teachers and other education workers.
The state government has maintained that sustained military and security operations in recent weeks have led to the neutralisation of criminal elements and the restoration of relative calm in previously affected areas.
Security agencies are said to be maintaining a strong presence in vulnerable communities, with intensified intelligence gathering and community engagement aimed at preventing a resurgence of criminal activities.
The government has urged parents, teachers and school administrators to remain vigilant and cooperate with security agencies, assuring residents that measures are in place to guarantee the safety of students and education personnel.
