Outline:
The Urgent Need for Protecting Education in Nigeria
As the 2025 International Day to Protect Education from Attacks approaches, the theme “Challenging Narratives, Reshaping Action” highlights the critical need for Nigeria to take stronger measures to protect its educational institutions and invest in resilient systems that ensure the safety and future of its children. Over the past six years since the first observance of this day, violence against education has surged globally, endangering lives and destabilizing communities.
Recent data from the United Nations General Assembly indicates a 44% increase in attacks on schools worldwide over the last year alone. These attacks have led to thousands of deaths, abductions, and psychological trauma among students and educators. Classrooms in conflict zones, once seen as places of hope and learning, have turned into sites of fear and violence. Such assaults not only disrupt education but also undermine every child’s fundamental right to a safe and uninterrupted learning environment.
In the last decade, Nigeria has experienced some of the most severe attacks on education globally. The 2014 abduction of 276 Chibok schoolgirls by Boko Haram shocked the nation and the international community, symbolizing the vulnerability of learners in conflict areas. Since then, insurgent groups and bandits have abducted hundreds of students in locations such as Dapchi, Kankara, Jangebe, and Tegina. These incidents have left deep scars on families, communities, and the country’s collective consciousness.
According to the Inter-agency Network for Education in Emergencies, there were 70 incidents of attacks on schools in Nigeria between February 2014 and December 2022, resulting in 1,683 students being kidnapped in schools. The impact of these abductions extends beyond immediate trauma. Many parents are forced to make painful choices between sending their children to school or keeping them at home for safety.
UNICEF estimates that there are 18.3 million out-of-school children in Nigeria. A former Vice-Chancellor of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Ango Abdullahi, stated that 80% of the 20 million out-of-school children in Nigeria are from Northern Nigeria. Data from the National Mass Education Programme Initiative shows that Kano has 1.89 million out-of-school children, Katsina has 1.4 million, Bauchi has 1.37 million, and Kebbi has 1.06 million.
Every school closure chips away at Nigeria’s developmental foundation. Without education, today’s children risk becoming tomorrow’s vulnerable adults, susceptible to poverty, exploitation, and radicalisation. Nigeria cannot hope to overcome banditry, terrorism, and violent extremism while millions of its children remain uneducated.
Protecting education must be central to Nigeria’s national security and economic survival. The Nigerian government has made commitments under the Safe Schools Declaration to secure learning environments. However, these commitments must move beyond paper and translate into concrete action.
Investment priorities should include fortifying vulnerable rural schools with fencing and physical barriers, deploying security personnel specifically trained to protect schools and children, and establishing robust early-warning systems to preempt escalating threats. Effective collaboration among state and local governments, community leaders, and security agencies is crucial to creating a secure educational ecosystem.
Beyond physical safety, psychosocial support for students and educators affected by violence is essential. Unaddressed trauma hinders learning and erodes trust in education systems; rebuilding emotional resilience is as important as restoring school infrastructure. Accountability must be enforced. Perpetrators of attacks on educational institutions must be identified, tracked, apprehended, and prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
Visible justice not only deters future attacks but also affirms society’s commitment to keeping education free from harm. Improving teacher welfare, rebuilding damaged school facilities, and enhancing social safety nets for families impacted by violence are vital steps to restore stability and confidence in Nigeria’s education sector, which remains foundational to the country’s socio-economic progress.