OVER 180 SCHOOLS SHUT DOWN IN NORTHERN NIGERIA OVER INSECURITY
More than 180 schools have been forced to close their doors across parts of Northern Nigeria due to rising insecurity, sparking fears of worsening educational setbacks for thousands of children.
Reports from education authorities and local communities reveal that the closures, concentrated in states like Kaduna, Zamfara, Niger, and Katsina, were triggered by frequent bandit attacks, mass kidnappings, and threats to the safety of students and teachers.
In recent years, northern schools have become targets of armed groups, with several high-profile abductions drawing national and international condemnation. The fear of renewed attacks has led many parents to withdraw their children, while authorities, in some cases, have ordered temporary shutdowns to protect lives.
Education experts warn that the development could deepen the learning crisis in the region, where school attendance is already among the lowest in the country. UNICEF estimates that Nigeria has more than 10 million out-of-school children—the highest in the world—with the majority in the North.
Speaking on the matter, a community leader in Kaduna lamented:
“Education is the only hope we have for our children, yet insecurity is snatching it away. These closures mean another generation could be lost.”
Civil society groups have called on the government to prioritize school safety by increasing security presence around vulnerable communities, accelerating the Safe Schools Initiative, and restoring confidence in the education system.
In his Independence Day message, President Bola Tinubu acknowledged the nation’s security challenges but reassured citizens that his administration is committed to defeating terrorism and banditry.
For parents and children in the affected areas, however, the reality remains stark: the classroom doors are locked, and the future feels uncertain.
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