Deliberate closure of schools by government marks new low in Nigeria’s battle with insecurity

A grim new chapter is unfolding in Nigeria’s long-running battle with insecurity. State governments are closing school gates, instead of reinforcing them. This wave of deliberate shutdowns, sweeping across states, is a stark admission that authorities can no longer guarantee the safety of students.

Recently, the terrorists have shifted their focus on schools reviving the horrors of April 2014 in Chibok, Borno State where 276 girls were abducted and a similar incident February 2018 in Dapchi, Yobe State where 110 girls were kidnapped.

On Monday, 25 schoolgirls were abducted from Government Girls Secondary School in the Maga area of Kebbi State and on Thursday, just three days later, 315 students and 12 teachers were abducted from St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools, Papiri, in Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State.

The response has been a domino effect of closures, from Kebbi to Katsina, and Niger to Plateau, including 41 Unity Colleges, marking a record low in the perception of insecurity in Africa’s most populous country.

The list is extensive, encompassing everything from local primary schools to prestigious federal colleges. In some areas, only boarding facilities are being closed; in others, the entire education system has ground to a halt.

List of schools closed by state government so far over insecurity

Kebbi State:
The Kebbi State Government ordered the closure of all public and private secondary schools, as well as all tertiary institutions across the state, except the College of Nursing Sciences in Birnin Kebbi.

The closure was announced in a joint statement by the State Commissioner for Higher Education, Issa Abubakar-Tunga, and the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Halima Bande. The commissioners stated that the decision was necessitated by recent attacks in parts of the state.

The affected tertiary institutions include, Kebbi State Polytechnic, Dakingari, Abdullahi Fodio University of Science and Technology, Aliero, College of Health Sciences and Technology, Jega , Adamu Augie College of Education, Argungu, School of Remedial Studies, Yauri.

Katsina State:
The state government ordered the immediate shutdown of all public primary and secondary schools.

According to Yusuf Suleman Jibia, the commissioner for basic and secondary education, the directive applies to all boarding secondary schools and other schools throughout the state.

Jibia said that the measure aims to strengthen security and protect the education system. He added that the decision is a precautionary step in response to ongoing security concerns in parts of the country. The closure will remain in place until security conditions improve sufficiently to allow the safe resumption of normal teaching activities.

Yobe State:
The Yobe State Government also ordered the closure of all boarding secondary schools in the state due to prevailing security challenges.

Kwara State:
The state government directed the closure of schools in four local government areas due to rising insecurity in certain communities. The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Kwara State Branch, announced the government’s decision on Wednesday.

Yusuf Agboola, the NUT Chairman stated that schools in Isin, Irepodun, Ifelodun, and Ekiti LGAs would be shut down.

The chairman said his union is complying with strict instructions from the Ministry of Education and Human Capital Development, following the government’s heightened concerns about new security threats in Kwara South.

Niger State:
The state government ordered the closure of all public and private primary and secondary schools throughout the state.

Governor Mohammed Umar Bago announced the directive on Saturday, 22 November, specifying that the shutdown includes all missionary schools, Islamic schools, and Federal Government Colleges, including the Federal Government College (FGC) in Minna, until further notice.

Tertiary institutions are generally unaffected, except those located in identified high-risk areas within the Niger North and Niger East Senatorial Districts, respectively.

Taraba State:
The government directed all public and private secondary schools with boarding facilities to immediately deboard their students.

Plateau State
The Plateau State Universal Basic Education Board (PSUBEB) also ordered the immediate shutdown of all basic schools across the state on Friday.

The directive, signed by Richard Nanpon Jonah, the Public Relation Officer (PRO) on behalf of the management of the board, made available to Journalists on Friday in Jos said it affects Government Junior Model Secondary Schools (GJMSSs), primary schools and day schools. According to PSUBEB, Government Junior Model Secondary Schools are to close effective Saturday, 22 November 2025, while all primary and day schools will shut down beginning Monday, 24 November 2025.

Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu is assuring Nigerians that he will do everything in his power to rescue the kidnapped.

“Let me be clear: I will not relent. Every Nigerian, in every state, has the right to safety — and under my watch, we will secure this nation and protect our people,” he said on Sunday while confirming that 38 people kidnapped from a church in Kwara State have been rescued.