An education advocate has urged the Federal Government to adopt urgent and coordinated strategies to curb the growing wave of attacks on schools across Nigeria.
Sunday Fowowe, President of the Association of Nursery and Primary Education Instructors in Nigeria, raised the concern during an interview in Lagos.
He warned that the rising cases of kidnappings targeting schoolchildren and teachers are deepening the crisis in the country’s education sector.
Fowowe noted that insecurity has remained a major barrier to learning, affecting thousands of students nationwide since incidents such as the Chibok schoolgirls abduction.
He cited reports from UNICEF and the Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack, which link persistent insecurity to declining school attendance across Nigeria.
According to him, the country had over 18 million out-of-school children as of 2025, the highest figure globally.
He explained that repeated attacks have created widespread fear, forcing many parents—especially in vulnerable communities—to withdraw their children from school.
Fowowe added that girls are particularly affected, as families increasingly view school attendance as a security risk.
He also observed that some communities have abandoned public education entirely due to ongoing threats.
Beyond the immediate danger, he said victims of such attacks often experience long-term psychological trauma that can impact emotional well-being, cognitive development, and academic performance.
To address the crisis, Fowowe called for a comprehensive response involving government authorities, security agencies, local communities, and education stakeholders.
He recommended deploying trained security personnel and rapid response units to schools in high-risk areas.
He also emphasised the importance of strengthening community policing and intelligence-gathering systems to prevent attacks before they occur.
The educationist further advocated the installation of surveillance systems, alarm technologies, and emergency response mechanisms in vulnerable schools.
He urged authorities to expand the Safe Schools Initiative to reach more communities, alongside regular monitoring to ensure effectiveness.
Fowowe stressed the need to improve the welfare, training, and accountability of security personnel assigned to protect educational institutions.
He also called for increased investment in education, particularly in rural and conflict-affected areas, to ensure that insecurity does not deny children access to learning.
“Education cannot thrive in an atmosphere of fear,” he said, adding that safeguarding schools must be treated as a national priority.
He warned that Nigeria’s long-term stability and development depend on securing the future of its children through safe and accessible education.
