Securing Schools Against Terrorist Attacks

Every school day in Nigeria begins with a sense of hope, as parents invest in their children's education believing it offers a path out of poverty. However, for many, the journey to school has become a frightening gamble due to escalating terrorist attacks. This threat has transformed a fundamental right into a perilous undertaking in several parts of the country.

Recent incidents underscore the severity of the crisis. In Kogi State, the Vice Principal of Government Secondary School, Iluke, and a six-year-old child were killed in a gunmen attack just this week. This follows nearly a month where over 80 children abducted in separate attacks in Borno and Oyo states remain unaccounted for. What was once a regional concern has escalated into a national challenge, echoing the devastating attack on Government Girls Secondary School in Chibok, Borno State, in April 2014, where Boko Haram abducted 276 schoolgirls.

The pattern of violence against educational institutions is extensive and alarming. Notable abductions include 110 schoolgirls from Dapchi, Yobe State, in February 2018; hundreds of students from Kankara, Katsina State, in December 2020; and students from the Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation in Afaka, Kaduna State, in 2021. Attacks in Kagara, Jangebe, and Tegina have also occurred. The nightmare continued in March 2024 with the abduction of nearly 300 pupils and students from schools in Kuriga, Kaduna State. In November 2025, a vice principal was killed and 25 students abducted from a girls’ secondary school in Kebbi State. Days later, over 300 students and teachers were kidnapped from St. Mary’s School in Papiri, Niger State, marking one of the largest school abductions in recent Nigerian history. The threat has persisted into 2026.

These repeated attacks have profoundly disrupted daily life and inflicted lasting damage on education. Attacks on schools have become a critical impediment to human capital formation in Nigeria. The psychological impact of terrorism, characterized by fear and uncertainty, significantly influences parental decisions regarding their children's schooling. Educational institutions are targeted because they are perceived as soft targets, offering opportunities for mass casualties due to their generally open access to the public. Consequently, school enrollment has plummeted in affected communities, as parents increasingly opt to keep their children home, prioritizing their safety over education.