School resumption rekindles fears as insecurity threatens education in Northern Nigeria

As schools resume across Nigeria following the long Yuletide holidays, renewed concerns over insecurity have cast a shadow over the new academic term, particularly in Northern states where parents fear for the safety of their children amid persistent threats of kidnapping and banditry.

Despite repeated assurances by the federal government and security agencies, anxiety remains high among families after a series of attacks on educational institutions late last year forced authorities to shut down schools across several states.

In December 2025, the federal government ordered the closure of 41 Unity Schools nationwide, while governors in Kwara, Plateau, Niger, Benue and Katsina also suspended academic activities in response to escalating insecurity.

Tension peaked following the attack on St. Mary’s School, a Catholic institution in Papiri community, Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State, where bandits abducted 215 students and 12 teachers.

READ ALSO: Nigeria: The Ramifications and Brunt of Insecurity and Uncertainty

The incident occurred just four days after 26 schoolgirls were kidnapped from Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, in Kebbi State, further heightening fears among parents and educators.

An Abuja-based educationist, Mrs. Stella Agbo, described the situation as a grave threat to learning in the North, warning that schools once considered safe havens have become “danger zones.”

“Education has slipped behind safety on the list of priorities for many parents. No family should have to face such a heartbreaking trade-off,” she noted.

Agbo urged government at all levels to take decisive action to protect schools, including fencing school premises, strengthening community policing, and integrating local vigilantes into security arrangements.

READ ALSO: CDHR, Onovo, GAFORG Tasks FG on Insecurity

She also recommended the deployment of trained and well-motivated private security guards to work alongside communities.

“Security personnel may not be sufficient to cover all schools, but trained guards working hand-in-hand with vigilantes can raise alarms quickly. Once communities are alerted, the chances of bandit attacks will reduce,” she said.

“There is little principals, parents or students can do without government intervention. Safety must be prioritised as schools resume,” Agbo added.

Data from the National Plan on Financing Safe Schools (NPFSS) revealed the scale of the challenge, showing that more than 42,000 primary and secondary schools across Northern Nigeria lack perimeter fencing, leaving them highly vulnerable to attacks.

The plan, which covers 2023 to 2026, indicated that 4,270 secondary schools in 21 Northern states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) are unfenced.

Bauchi recorded the highest number with 574, followed by Kano (500), Benue (447), Adamawa (379) and Jigawa (269). The FCT has 77 unfenced secondary schools, while several other states account for hundreds more.

The situation is even more severe at the primary school level, where 38,684 schools across the region lack perimeter fencing.

Kano leads with 4,171 unfenced primary schools, followed by Niger (3,056), Bauchi (2,703), Katsina (2,533), Benue (2,279), Plateau (2,230) and Jigawa (2,146). Many other states record more than 1,000 unfenced primary schools each.

In response, some Northern states have pledged to strengthen security as students return to school.

The Sokoto State Ministry of Education announced that security arrangements had been activated across public schools in preparation for resumption.

“We are working closely with security agencies to ensure that students can learn and write their examinations without fear,” the ministry said in a statement, noting that the measures followed recent security concerns in parts of the region.

Similarly, Kebbi State Governor, Nasir Idris, has directed security agencies to intensify surveillance around schools. His Chief Press Secretary, Ahmed Idris, said adequate arrangements had been put in place to ensure uninterrupted learning.

The safety of our children is a top priority. Security operatives are on alert to respond to any threat as schools resume,” he said.

Parents have continued to urge government and school owners to make student safety a top priority.

READ ALSO: Atiku slams Tinubu over rising insecurity as Kwara villagers flee bandit attacks

Mrs. Jumoke Balogun, a parent in Suleja, Niger State, appealed for proper fencing of schools and the deployment of security personnel at school entrances.

“The insecurity in Nigeria today is nothing to joke with. If homes are no longer safe, schools without fences are even more vulnerable. Government must help us protect our children,” she said.

A teacher and parent in Nasarawa State, Mrs. Martha Adamu, described the constant fear of abduction as overwhelming.

“The thought of sending your children to school and later hearing they’ve been kidnapped is terrifying. Even close to Abuja, the fear never goes away,” she said.

Another parent, Abubakar Sanusi from Niger State, warned that many families may be reluctant to allow their children to resume school, potentially worsening the region’s already high number of out-of-school children.

He cautioned that the education gap between the North and South could widen further if insecurity persists.

Meanwhile, the federal government has reiterated its commitment to strengthening security around schools nationwide.

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris commended the efforts of security forces and assured Nigerians that measures were being intensified to protect schools, students and staff.

“I want to reaffirm the commitment of President Bola Tinubu’s administration to strengthening security around schools and safeguarding students and citizens nationwide,” the minister said, adding that the protection and welfare of Nigerian children remain a central priority of the federal government.