Nigeria’s education system is increasingly operating under the shadow of fear, as insecurity continues to threaten students, teachers, and learning institutions across the country. From primary schools in rural communities to universities and major transit routes, the risks associated with pursuing education are becoming harder to ignore.
An analysis by international child-rights organisation Save the Children has revealed a disturbing rise in school kidnappings across Nigeria since January 2024. Drawing from media reports and data from the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED), the organisation documented at least 10 separate school-related abduction incidents within a two-year period, affecting more than 670 children.
The figures point to a worsening crisis. In the past month alone, at least 325 students and school staff were kidnapped in two separate attacks, underscoring the extreme vulnerability of learning environments. One of the most significant incidents occurred in March 2024 in Kaduna State, where 287 students and a teacher were abducted in a single raid.
Although large-scale abductions such as the 2014 Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping have faded from international headlines, attacks on schools and students have never truly stopped. Instead, they have evolved into a persistent security threat, particularly in northern Nigeria, where armed groups, criminal gangs, and bandits continue to exploit weak protection around schools and transit corridors.
Fear Keeping Children Out of Classrooms
Beyond the immediate trauma of abductions, the broader impact on education is profound. Save the Children estimates that about 19 million Nigerian children, roughly 27 per cent of the school-age population are currently out of school. While poverty and cultural factors contribute to this figure, fear of kidnapping and violence has emerged as a major driver.
In many communities, parents now face an agonising choice between sending their children to school and keeping them safe. Some schools have shut down entirely following attacks, while others operate intermittently or under heavy security, altering the learning experience and discouraging attendance.
Duncan Harvey, Save the Children’s Country Director in Nigeria, warned that the situation demands urgent attention.
“School should be a safe haven and a place where a child can dream of and make a better future. It should never be a place where children’s and their parents’ worst nightmares can come true,” he said.
“When a school is attacked, it’s not just walls that fall; a child’s safety, dreams, and future fall with them.”
Policy Commitments, Weak Implementation
Nigeria is not without policy commitments. In 2015, the country endorsed the Safe Schools Declaration (SSD), pledging to protect education during armed conflict and prevent the military use of schools. Since then, several frameworks have been introduced to safeguard students, teachers, and educational infrastructure.
However, rights groups and education advocates argue that implementation has been weak, especially at state and local levels. Poor funding, limited legal enforcement, low awareness of safety protocols, and inadequate capacity among local authorities have undermined these efforts.
This gap between policy and practice is increasingly evident as incidents continue to occur not only within school premises but also along travel routes including cases involving students journeying to examinations, admissions processes, or national service postings.
A National Education Emergency
The growing insecurity around education has implications far beyond individual victims. Analysts warn that persistent attacks on schools risk reversing years of progress in literacy, skills development, and youth empowerment. They also threaten Nigeria’s long-term social stability, as millions of children are deprived of structured learning and exposed to cycles of violence and poverty.
Save the Children, which has worked in Nigeria since 2001 and intensified its humanitarian response following the 2014 crisis, continues to support affected communities through education, protection services, and policy advocacy. The organisation is also providing technical assistance to the government to strengthen reforms in critical areas such as safe schools, health, and social protection.
Yet, as attacks persist, observers argue that safeguarding education must move from policy rhetoric to coordinated, well-funded action involving federal and state governments, security agencies, school authorities, communities, and international partners.
Until then, for millions of Nigerian children, the simple act of going to school remains an uncertain journey one taken under the weight of fear rather than hope.
