At least 65 primary and secondary schools have been shut or rendered non-functional across several northern states as insecurity, including terrorism, banditry, abductions and displacement, continues to disrupt access to education for thousands of Nigerian children.
According to Vanguard, schools attack spread across Sokoto, Benue, Plateau, Borno, Kaduna and Kebbi states, while insecurity has also disrupted academic activities in parts of Katsina, Adamawa and other northern states.
The closures have largely been driven by attacks, abductions, displacement of communities and fears for the safety of pupils, students and teachers. In some affected communities, schools have remained closed for extended periods, while authorities in other areas have merged schools or relocated students to safer learning centres.
The development has renewed concerns over Nigeria’s longstanding out-of-school crisis and the wider consequences of prolonged educational disruption, including child labour, early marriage, psychological trauma, radicalisation and reduced future employment opportunities.
The crisis persists despite several government and donor-backed interventions designed to protect schools in conflict-prone communities. Among them is the Safe Schools Initiative, launched in 2014 following the abduction of 276 schoolgirls from Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State.
The initiative, involving the Federal Government, the United Nations and the private sector, was established to strengthen school security and ensure that children in vulnerable communities could continue their education. More than $30 million has reportedly been mobilised for the programme since its inception.
The Federal Government subsequently introduced the National Plan on Financing Safe Schools for 2023–2026, with a projected investment of ₦144.86 billion. The plan provided for ₦32.58 billion in 2023, ₦36.98 billion in 2024, ₦37.15 billion in 2025 and ₦38.03 billion in 2026.
Sokoto State has recorded one of the most extensive disruptions, with the state government reporting the closure of schools in 20 of its 23 local government areas because of security concerns.
The Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Prof. Ahmad Ladan Ala, said the closure followed a directive from the Federal Government, adding that schools across the affected areas, including primary schools, had been shut indefinitely, with Sokoto North, Sokoto South and Wamakko exempted.
The President of the All Nigerian Conference of Principals of Secondary Schools, Muhammad Ikililu, said insecurity had disrupted boarding education in the state for several years.
According to him, boarding schools were moved to the state capital during the administration of former Governor Aminu Tambuwal because of insecurity in the North-West, particularly Sokoto State, with some of the affected schools yet to fully resume normal operations.
Among the schools identified as affected are Government Secondary School, Tureta; Government Secondary School, Tangaza; Government Girls Secondary School, Bodinga; Government Girls Secondary School, Tambuwal; Government Technical College, Goronyo; Government Secondary School, Gudu; Government Secondary School, Gwadabawa; Government Girls Secondary School, Illela; Government Secondary School, Yabo; Government Girls Secondary School, Rabah; Government Technical College, Binji; Government Secondary School, Kebbe; Government Secondary School, Dange; and Government Secondary School, Shagari.
The governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress in the state, Manir Muhammad Dan’iya, described the situation as a major setback to education and human capital development, noting that thousands of children had been deprived of regular access to classrooms.
Benue communities struggle to keep schools open
In Benue State, insecurity has forced the closure of numerous primary schools in Kwande, Gwer West, Guma and Logo local government areas.
Repeated attacks and displacement have rendered several communities unsafe for teaching and learning, forcing families to relocate to safer areas. Some pupils have followed their families, while others have reportedly dropped out altogether.
Among the affected schools identified are LGEA NKST Science Primary School, Anyiin; LGEA RCM Primary School, Anyiin; LGEA Primary School, Anyiin; LGEA RCM Primary School, Igbur; LGEA Primary School, Chembe; LGEA Primary School, Iorza; LGEA NKST Primary School, Abeda-Shitile; LGEA RCM Primary School, Abeda-Shitile; LGEA RCM Primary School, Mchia; Shisho Unity Nursery and Primary School, Mchia; LGEA Primary School, Jootar; LGEA Primary School, Abiem; LGEA Primary School, Tyôgbihi; NKST Primary School, Azege; LGEA Primary School, Uzer; and RCM Primary School, Ikyule.
Others include NKST Primary School, Mbakighir; NKST Primary School, Kurungu; NKST Primary School, Audu; NKST Primary School, Annakaa; LGEA Primary School, Abur-Kpera; NKST Primary School, Anungwa; NKST Primary School, Gwatse; LGEA Primary School, Aman; LGEA Primary School, Gbeleve; LGEA Primary School, Ugwe; RCM Primary School, Poovule; RCM Primary School, Ibôr; LGEA Primary School, Kwagh; LGEA Primary School, Vir; LGEA RCM Primary School, Akombo; LGEA Primary School, Ubver; LGEA Primary School, Ageraga; LGEA RCM Primary School, Shausu; and LGEA Primary School, Mou.
In Borno State, renewed attacks have disrupted schooling in Askira-Uba Local Government Area, where two schools were recently shut following attacks and abductions.
They include Mussa Junior and Primary School, reportedly closed after the abduction of more than 40 students and pupils, and Lassa Secondary School, which was shut following the abduction of more than 30 students.
The state government had earlier ordered the temporary closure of schools in Mussa, Dille, Lassa and Chul communities in Askira-Uba for security reasons, while students sitting examinations were moved to Government Secondary School, Uba.
Chairman of Askira-Uba LGA, Mada Saidu, had confirmed that 39 people, including three teaching staff and 36 students, were affected in one of the attacks.
In Plateau State, insecurity has affected academic activities in Riyom and Barkin Ladi local government areas.
Schools identified as affected include Government Secondary School, Shonong; GSS Lwa; LEA Primary School, Hei-Gwe in Kwi District; GSS Fang; LEA Primary School Fang; GSS Sho; GSS Barkin Ladi; GSS Ropp; Dogo Primary School; and LEA Primary School Dogo-Gashish.
Berom Youth Moulders spokesman, Rwang Tenglong, said schools in affected communities were sometimes shut for more than a week after attacks.
He said insecurity continued to undermine education in rural communities because schools could not operate effectively when the communities around them remained unsafe.
Other states adopt safety measures
In Kaduna State, most schools remain operational, although insecurity continues to affect some communities.
Bethel High School and Greenfield University in Chikun Local Government Area have remained associated with major school abduction incidents.
Communities in Birnin Gwari, Giwa, Chikun, Kajuru, Kauru and parts of Igabi also continue to experience occasional disruptions arising from attacks, displacement and fears among parents and school authorities.
In Kebbi State, Government Girls Secondary School, Maga, in Danko/Wasagu Local Government Area, remains closed following a deadly attack and abduction of students by gunmen.
In Katsina, insecurity has resulted in prolonged school closures in several frontline local government areas, including Batsari, Jibia, Kankara, Faskari, Sabuwa, Danmusa, Safana, Kurfi and Dandume.
Authorities have in some cases moved teachers to safer communities and merged affected schools with neighbouring institutions. The approach has enabled thousands of pupils to continue learning, although some schools in frontline communities are yet to fully reopen.
In Yobe State, no school is currently reported to be shut because of insecurity apart from the College of Agriculture, Gujba. The institution, however, remains a reminder of the devastating impact of Boko Haram attacks on educational institutions.
Crisis extends beyond current closures
The latest findings form part of a broader and persistent national education crisis.
A 2025 investigation documented at least 188 public schools shut because of insecurity across Katsina, Benue, Zamfara, Niger, Sokoto and Kaduna states. The breakdown put the figures at 52 in Katsina, 55 in Benue, 39 in Zamfara, 30 in Niger, six in Sokoto and six in Kaduna.
The investigation did not cover Borno, Yobe and Adamawa and noted that the actual number could be higher because some affected communities were inaccessible.
Security experts have warned that the targeting of schools reflects an evolving pattern of criminality in which terrorists and kidnappers seek targets capable of generating significant psychological impact.
Security analyst Sam Otoboeze said kidnapping and banditry were increasingly being used not only for ransom but also as instruments of intimidation aimed at weakening public confidence in the state’s capacity to protect citizens.
Security consultant Alfred Ononugbo similarly attributed the persistence of attacks partly to weak intelligence coordination and inadequate protection of vulnerable communities.
Another security analyst, Masara Kim, described the situation as both a humanitarian and educational crisis, citing communities in Plateau State where schools had reportedly been abandoned or destroyed following attacks and displacement.
He cited LEA Primary School, Jwak, in Mangu Local Government Area, which he said was completely burnt down during an attack on May 16, 2023. He added that the community remained deserted because residents had been unable to return.
Kim also said insecurity had contributed to the growing number of children out of school in Bokkos and Mangu, particularly following the displacement of more than 25,000 residents from over 26 communities in Mushere District.
Experts warn of long-term consequences
Education experts have cautioned that the consequences of prolonged school closures could extend well beyond the immediate loss of classroom time.
Chairman of the Conference of Polytechnics and Colleges of Technology in Nigeria, COREG, Dr Obini Onuchukwu, described repeated school closures as one of the most damaging developments confronting the education sector.
He said prolonged disruption affected academic calendars and made it difficult for schools in conflict-affected areas to achieve educational outcomes comparable with institutions operating in safer communities.
Onuchukwu also warned of psychological consequences, including emotional distress, trauma and declining interest in education, while noting that attacks could damage school facilities and disrupt the livelihoods of teachers and other education workers.
An educationist at the Delta State Institute of Continuing Education, Eloho Arhogho-Okeren, said school closures could permanently alter the lives of affected children.
She advocated alternative learning arrangements through radio and community learning centres, alongside school feeding, transport assistance, financial support and accelerated learning programmes.
Professor of Security Governance at the Federal University, Lafia, Dr Al Chukwuma Okoli, warned that prolonged school closures could worsen Nigeria’s out-of-school crisis.
Okoli said Nigeria had an estimated 18.3 million out-of-school children and warned that further disruption in conflict-affected communities could increase the figure.
He said children deprived of foundational education risked poor literacy and numeracy outcomes, reduced future employability and greater dependence on subsistence livelihoods.
He also highlighted particular risks facing girls, including child labour and early marriage, and warned that large populations of unschooled young people could become vulnerable to recruitment by terrorist groups, bandits and criminal networks.
Okoli described education disruption as a potential “threat multiplier” and recommended stronger early-warning systems, rapid-response mechanisms, community-based protection, radio and television lessons, digital learning, conditional cash transfers and school feeding for displaced families.
He also called for traditional and religious leaders to play a greater role in protecting schools and encouraging children to remain in education.
National President of the Association of Child and Learning Psychologists, Dr Sixtus Unigwe, stressed that effective learning requires an environment where children feel safe.
He warned that the psychological effects of school closures could remain even after schools reopen, with some pupils struggling to concentrate, developing truancy or becoming reluctant to return to school because of fear.
Unigwe said prolonged insecurity could expose children to gangsterism, banditry, kidnapping and other criminal activities, describing the potential consequences for society as devastating.
ActionAid seeks stronger implementation
Country Director of ActionAid Nigeria, Dr Andrew Mamedu, called for stronger implementation of the Safe Schools Initiative and improved protection for children in vulnerable communities.
He urged governments to establish alternative learning spaces for children displaced by insecurity and other emergencies and called for stronger implementation of the Safe Schools Declaration at the community level.
FG restructures Safe Schools Initiative
The Federal Government has, meanwhile, announced measures to strengthen the Safe Schools Initiative.
Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, told the Senate Ad hoc Committee investigating the programme that the Federal Ministry of Education had established a dedicated Safe Schools Department.
According to him, the ministry is working with the Office of the National Security Adviser, Department of State Services, Armed Forces, Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies to develop a comprehensive national framework for school safety.
The new approach, he said, would go beyond physical security to include perimeter fencing, solar-powered lighting, water and sanitation facilities, school security personnel, technology and monitoring systems.
Alausa said the Ministry of Education would provide policy direction, coordinate implementation with state governments and monitor the programme.
The Safe Schools Initiative has received significant financial commitments since its creation, but continued attacks have prompted questions about implementation, coordination and effectiveness.
The initiative was launched in 2014 with an initial government commitment of $10 million, while subsequent fundraising reportedly pushed total resources mobilised beyond $30 million. The Federal Government’s National Plan on Financing Safe Schools for 2023–2026 also projected ₦144.86 billion in additional investment.
The Senate has consequently opened an investigation into the initiative to examine its financial and operational performance.
While security remains central to reopening affected schools, experts argue that the response must combine protection with continuity of learning, psychosocial support, community engagement and targeted assistance to displaced families.
The current situation underscores the need for a coordinated strategy in which federal and state authorities, security agencies, communities, traditional and religious institutions, development partners and education stakeholders work together to ensure that insecurity does not permanently remove another generation of Nigerian children from the classroom.
Protecting schools, experts maintain, is therefore not only an education responsibility but also an investment in human capital, social stability and Nigeria’s long-term national security.
Credit: Vanguard
