Insecurity, health crisis push millions out of school, stakeholders warn

Stakeholders have warned that Nigeria is edging deeper into a child welfare emergency as insecurity, health crisis, collapsing basic services, and widening regional inequalities push millions of children out of school.

This is even as they disclosed that more than 800 schools have been shut across parts of the North due to violent attacks, mass abductions, and persistent threats, an escalation they say places the country’s future at grave risk.

Mr. Eze Anaba, president of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, at a high-level United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF–Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) symposium in Lagos on Tuesday, said Nigeria is now in a state of emergency over the deteriorating conditions affecting children.

Read also: Borno Christians hold prayer, fasting over rising insecurity

Anaba noted that recent incidents of mass kidnappings, killings, and school raids have turned learning centres into danger zones. “If we did not know before, we should know now. At no other time in our history, except during the Civil War, has the condition of our children been this uncertain. The bloodshed has been relentless, and children have become primary victims of violence,” Anaba said.

He criticised the growing trend of indiscriminate school closures by state authorities following isolated attacks, describing it as an unsustainable response that worsens educational exclusion. “Even some governments shut down schools without knowing why. This is unacceptable. Nigeria is home to more than 220 million people, half of whom are children. What happens to our children happens to Nigeria,” he said.

Ms. Wafa Saeed, UNICEF Nigeria representative, warned that millions of children across the country face compounded vulnerabilities, ranging from acute malnutrition to lack of access to healthcare and learning. She highlighted that three out of four 10-year-olds in Nigeria are unable to read and understand a simple passage, a learning crisis made worse by persistent insecurity and school disruptions.

“Nigeria has made progress over the last two decades, but at the current pace, it will take far too long to reach acceptable results. Too many children are still being left behind. We must accelerate efforts, particularly on routine immunisation, nutrition, quality education, and protection,” Saeed said.

Fresh data presented by Ms. Ronak Nkan, UNICEF deputy country representative, revealed extreme regional disparities. While almost 90 percent of households in Lagos have access to safe water, only 3 percent do in Kebbi State. She said UNICEF allocates resources strictly based on evidence, investing where the data tells us children are most deprived.

A representative of the Federal Ministry of Women’s Affairs, Mrs. Mariam Fitumi Shaibu, outlined ongoing government interventions targeting out-of-school children, including the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE), the National Commission for Out-of-School Children, and new policies to reduce school absenteeism among girls.

Mr. Ehi Braimah, senior editor and member of the NGE, raised alarm over the scale of school closures across northern Nigeria, warning that insecurity is crippling children’s access to education. “Over 800 schools have been shut in parts of the North due to insecurity,” he said, describing the trend as a major setback for national development.

Read also: Insecurity: Tinubu makes case for Africa-led solutions, rejects private military firms

Braimah urged governments to prioritise safe-school investments and expedite the domestication and implementation of the Child Rights Act, stressing that the country cannot afford to ignore the growing risks facing its youngest citizens.

Stakeholders at the forum agreed that safeguarding children requires a unified push across federal, state, and local governments, civil society, development partners, and the media. “We must protect our children. Their future is Nigeria’s future,” they said.