Northern Nigeria is witnessing one of its darkest moments in education, as renewed attacks and mass school closures push thousands of children out of classrooms. With fresh abductions and government-ordered shutdowns, learning is once again under siege.
For more than a decade, insecurity has crippled education across the North. Over 600 schools have been forced to shut at different times as communities flee bandits, insurgents, and kidnappers. That crisis deepened this week when the Federal Government ordered the immediate closure of 47 Unity Colleges, mostly in northern states.
The directive followed two major school attacks within seventy-two hours.
In Kebbi State, gunmen invaded the Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga. At least 25 schoolgirls were abducted, and the school’s Vice Principal, Hassan Makuku, was shot dead while trying to shield the students.
Just three days later, another group struck St. Mary’s Catholic Mission School in Agwara, Niger State, kidnapping dozens of pupils and staff. Local officials fear the number of abducted children might be higher, as search efforts continue.
These attacks triggered a wave of closures. In Katsina State, all public boarding schools were shut, mirroring past measures taken during the Kankara abduction of over 300 boys. Other states have also ordered students home as fear spreads across communities.
Experts warn that the repeated shutdowns are widening learning gaps, driving more children, especially girls, out of school, and worsening trauma among families. Many teachers are now avoiding rural postings, saying schools have become soft targets for armed groups.
Government officials say the closures are temporary, backed by ongoing security operations and the Safe Schools Initiative. But critics argue that closures without long-term protection only highlight the state’s inability to keep children safe, calling for better intelligence, stronger local policing, and community-based security.
In a week marked by abductions, a fatal attack, and a dramatic government shutdown, the question now is whether learning in Northern Nigeria can survive these repeated blows. As parents wait anxiously for word on when their children can return, many are asking: are schools safe places … or just targets?
