The Anambra State Government has officially banned the closure of schools on Mondays, effectively ending the long-standing “sit-at-home” observance that has disrupted academic and economic activities in the region for over four years. In a circular released by the Anambra State Universal Basic Education Board (ASUBEB), the administration declared that all education workers—both teaching and non-teaching staff—must resume their duties on Mondays immediately.
The directive, signed by Board Secretary Hon. Mgbemena Loveline E., follows a State Executive Council retreat presided over by Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo on Tuesday, January 21, 2026. The government has taken a firm stance, warning that any staff member who fails to report to their duty post on Mondays will face severe financial penalties. Specifically, non-compliant workers risk forfeiting 20% of their salary or losing it entirely, signaling the administration’s resolve to restore full productivity to the state’s education sector.
To ensure strict adherence, ASUBEB has mandated that permanent board members, education officers across all 21 local government education authorities, and departmental directors mobilize to enforce the order. Supervising officers have been instructed to communicate these new terms clearly to all staff under their jurisdiction. The board emphasized that this is an executive decision aimed at reclaiming lost time and normalizing the school calendar, which has suffered from compressed syllabuses and reduced contact hours due to the weekly closures.
The Monday sit-at-home practice in Anambra and the broader South-East region began in August 2021 following an order by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). Originally intended as a civil protest to demand the release of IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu, the order was officially suspended by IPOB leadership later that same year. However, the practice persisted in many communities, driven by fear of enforcement by splinter groups and armed elements.
The economic and social toll of these shutdowns has been staggering. A report by SBM Intelligence estimates that the sit-at-home enforcement has cost the South-East region approximately N7.6 trillion in economic losses over four years. Beyond the financial impact, the education sector has been particularly hard hit, with students losing a significant portion of their learning time every week. While security agencies have increased patrols to reassure residents, compliance has remained uneven until now, with many citizens prioritizing safety over defying the unofficial curfew.
This latest move by the Soludo administration represents a critical step toward reclaiming normalcy and ensuring that the future of Anambra’s children is not further compromised by civil unrest.
