FEATURE: As Schools Reopen, Nigeria Must Not Leave Security to Chance
By: Bello Humulkhair and Maryam Umar
In a matter of days, millions of Nigerian children will return to their classrooms after the summer break. New uniforms will be ironed, books will be packed, and parents will once again entrust their children to schools for another academic session. But amid the excitement of resumption lies a question that should keep every responsible stakeholder awake: how safe are our schools?
That question has become more urgent following a disturbing resurgence of attacks and abductions involving schools. In 2026 alone, mass kidnappings have again been reported in different parts of the country. In May, 39 schoolchildren and seven teachers were abducted in Oyo State, while another 42 students were taken in Borno State. Barely a month later, 36 students and a staff member were abducted from a secondary school in Borno. (Reuters)
These incidents should set alarm bells ringing. School security can no longer be treated as an afterthought or something to be discussed only after tragedy strikes. As schools prepare to reopen, federal and state governments, school authorities, security agencies, parents and host communities must put their shoulders to the wheel and ensure that adequate security arrangements are in place before students return.
According to UNICEF, more than 1,680 children were abducted in conflict-related violence at schools and elsewhere in the decade leading to 2024, while 180 children were killed in attacks on schools. An estimated 60 school staff were kidnapped and 14 killed, with more than 70 attacks on schools verified by the United Nations. (UNICEF)
The situation has not stood still. UNICEF’s 2025 year-end assessment reported persistent insecurity affecting education in the North-West, including the abduction of 25 schoolgirls in Kebbi State and more than 300 students alongside 12 teachers in Niger State. The insecurity prompted states including Katsina, Zamfara, Kebbi and Sokoto to temporarily close schools as a preventive measure. (UNICEF)
This is why the approaching resumption period must not be business as usual. School is where learners develop their abilities, discover their potential and build their capacity to think critically. It is where tomorrow’s doctors, engineers, teachers, entrepreneurs, scientists and leaders begin to find their feet. For this reason, the school environment must be safe, secure and conducive to learning.
Nigeria is already carrying a heavy educational burden. UNICEF reported in 2024 that 10.2 million primary-school-age children and another 8.1 million junior-secondary-school-age children were out of school. It also reported that 113 schools in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe had been closed because of insecurity following 19 documented incidents in 2022 and 2023. (UNICEF)
Adding insecurity to an already serious out-of-school crisis is like adding fuel to the fire. As the summer break comes to an end and students prepare to return to school, attention must not be focused only on academic preparations. Governments and school administrators will naturally be concerned about classrooms, teachers, timetables, textbooks and other learning materials. Security deserves an equally prominent place on that checklist.
Fear of abduction and violent attacks can make parents reluctant to send their children back to school. Children themselves may become frightened of attending classes. UNICEF has previously warned that attacks on schools discourage parents from sending their children to school and leave learners fearful of returning to classrooms. (UNICEF) Once fear replaces confidence, education becomes another casualty of insecurity.
Therefore, school management must use the remaining days before resumption to conduct proper security assessments rather than wait until students are back. Particular attention should be paid to schools in isolated communities, border areas and locations with histories of kidnapping, banditry or other violent crime.
Perimeter fencing, gates, lighting, access points and security posts should be inspected. Broken fences and gates should be repaired before resumption. Bushes and overgrown vegetation around school boundaries should be cleared where they create hiding places or obstruct visibility. Schools, particularly those located far from residential areas, should have adequate lighting around their premises. Solar-powered security lights can provide an additional safeguard where electricity supply is unreliable.
Parent-Teacher Association meetings should not concentrate only on school fees, uniforms, examination results and academic performance. School safety should become a standing item for discussion.
Children should also be taught age-appropriate safety practices. They should understand the importance of reporting suspicious persons or activities to teachers, school authorities or trusted adults. They should know basic emergency procedures without being unnecessarily frightened.
Host communities are equally important. Residents around schools often know their environment better than anyone else. Community leaders, vigilante structures where lawfully constituted, school-based management committees and conventional security agencies should maintain channels through which suspicious movements can be reported quickly.
Ultimately, a secure school environment is the foundation for effective learning. When children feel safe, they can concentrate on learning, discovering their abilities and building the future they envision. Protecting schools is therefore not merely about preventing theft, vandalism or kidnapping. It is about protecting education itself. Every parent who drops off a child should have reasonable confidence that the same child will return home safely. That should not be a privilege. It should be the minimum standard.
Bello Humulkhair and Maryam Umar are young media professionals undergoing internship programme with QuickPR Global Ltd
SHAFIHI ABDULRASHEED is a communication strategist and media professional with expertise in public relations, strategic communication, and crisis management. A graduate of the University of Ilorin with a degree in Sociology and currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Peace and Security Studies, Shafihi holds the professional credential of Associate, Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (ANIPR). His career spans media relations, perception management, policy communication, and organizational leadership. He possesses over a decade of experience working with government, non-profit organizations, and private sector clients on matters of strategic communication and public engagement.
