At least 65 primary and secondary schools across northern Nigeria have been shut or rendered non-functional due to insecurity, with closures spanning Sokoto, Benue, Plateau, Borno, Kaduna, Kebbi, Katsina, and Adamawa states. The affected institutions are spread across more than 40 local government areas (LGAs), leaving thousands of children without regular access to classroom education, according to a Vanguard report on Sunday, August 9.
Insecurity forces school closures across multiple states
The shutdowns have been driven by bandit and terrorist attacks, abductions of pupils and teachers, displacement of entire communities, and widespread fear of further violence targeting schools. Some schools have remained shut for extended periods with no alternative in place, while others have been merged with safer institutions or relocated students to different centres to keep learning going.
The situation has reignited concerns over Nigeria's already serious out-of-school crisis and the lasting damage that prolonged absence from school inflicts on children, particularly in already underserved northern communities. The persistence of school closures comes more than a decade after the federal government launched the Safe Schools Initiative in 2014, following the abduction of 276 schoolgirls from Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, in Borno state.
Safe Schools Initiative and funding gaps
According to the Global Business Coalition for Education, more than $30 million has been mobilised for the Safe Schools Initiative since it was established. The federal government followed this with a National Plan on Financing Safe Schools covering 2023 to 2026, with a projected total investment of N144.86 billion. The plan allocated N32.58 billion in 2023, N36.98 billion in 2024, N37.15 billion in 2025, and N38.03 billion in 2026. Despite these commitments, attacks on schools and their surrounding communities have continued to push children out of education across northern Nigeria.
Benue state: 35 schools closed
In Benue, insecurity has forced the closure of numerous primary schools across Kwande, Gwer West, Guma, and Logo local government areas. Repeated attacks and displacement have made several communities unsafe for teaching and learning. The 35 affected schools include LGEA NKST Science Primary School, Anyiin; LGEA RCM Primary School, Anyiin; LGEA Primary School, Anyiin; LGEA RCM Primary School, Igbur; LGEA Primary School, Chembe; LGEA Primary School, Iorza; LGEA NKST Primary School, Abeda-Shitile; LGEA RCM Primary School, Abeda-Shitile; LGEA RCM Primary School, Mchia; Shisho Unity Nursery and Primary School, Mchia; LGEA Primary School, Jootar; LGEA Primary School, Abiem; LGEA Primary School, Tyôgbihi; NKST Primary School, Azege; LGEA Primary School, Uzer; and RCM Primary School, Ikyule.
Others are NKST Primary School, Mbakighir; NKST Primary School, Kurungu; NKST Primary School, Audu; NKST Primary School, Annakaa; LGEA Primary School, Abur-Kpera; NKST Primary School, Anungwa; NKST Primary School, Gwatse; LGEA Primary School, Aman; LGEA Primary School, Gbeleve; LGEA Primary School, Ugwe; RCM Primary School, Poovule; RCM Primary School, Ibôr; LGEA Primary School, Kwagh; LGEA Primary School, Vir; LGEA RCM Primary School, Akombo; LGEA Primary School, Ubver; LGEA Primary School, Ageraga; LGEA RCM Primary School, Shausu; and LGEA Primary School, Mou. Residents said prolonged closure has denied many children access to education, with some pupils moving to safer communities while others have dropped out completely.
Sokoto state: schools shut in 20 LGAs
Sokoto has recorded one of the most extensive current disruptions, with schools in 20 of the state's 23 LGAs shut following security concerns, according to the state government. The Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Prof Ahmad Ladan Ala, said the closure followed a directive from the federal government. He said schools across the state, including primary schools, had been closed indefinitely, with schools within Sokoto North, Sokoto South, and Wamakko exempted.
The President of the All Nigerian Conference of Principals of Secondary Schools, Muhammad Ikililu, said insecurity had also disrupted boarding education in the state for several years. According to him, boarding schools were moved to the state capital during the administration of former Governor Aminu Tambuwal because of insecurity in the north-west and Sokoto state in particular. He said some of the affected schools remained closed.
Investigations showed that 14 schools were affected by the current security situation across the state. They include Government Secondary School, Tureta; Government Secondary School, Tangaza; Government Girls Secondary School, Bodinga; Government Girls Secondary School, Tambuwal; Government Technical College, Goronyo; Government Secondary School, Gudu; Government Secondary School, Gwadabawa; Government Girls Secondary School, Illela; Government Secondary School, Yabo; Government Girls Secondary School, Rabah; Government Technical College, Binji; Government Secondary School, Kebbe; Government Secondary School, Dange; and Government Secondary School, Shagari.
The governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in the state, Manir Muhammad Dan'iya, described the situation as a major setback to education and human capital development, saying the closures had deprived thousands of children of access to education.
Plateau state: seven schools disrupted
In Plateau state, insecurity has disrupted academic activities in Riyom and Barkin Ladi LGAs. The press identified seven schools in the two LGAs affected by insecurity. They are Government Secondary School, GSS, Shonong, GSS Lwa, LEA Primary School, Hei-Gwe in Kwi District, GSS Fang, LEA Primary School Fang, all in Riyom LGA, as well as GSS Sho, GSS Barkin Ladi, GSS Ropp, Dogo Primary School, and LEA Primary School Dogo-Gashish in Barkin Ladi LGA.
Berom Youth Moulders spokesman, Rwang Tenglong, said schools in affected communities were often shut for more than a week after attacks. He said insecurity had continued to undermine education in rural communities because schools could not operate effectively when communities were unsafe. Communities in Riyom where schools have experienced disruptions include Shonong, Lwa, Fang, Bangai, Tanjol, Darwat, Daku-Jol, and Hei-Gwe Kwi.
Borno state: renewed attacks disrupt schooling
In Borno, renewed attacks have again disrupted schooling in Askira-Uba Local Government Area. Journalists identified two schools recently shut following attacks and abductions in the area. They are Mussa Junior and Primary School, which was shut after the abduction of more than 40 students and pupils, and Lassa Secondary School, which was also shut following the abduction of more than 30 students. The closures are a reminder of the long-running threat to education in Borno, where Boko Haram attacks have repeatedly targeted schools, teachers, and students.
The state government had previously ordered the temporary closure of schools in Mussa, Dille, Lassa, and Chul communities in Askira-Uba for security reasons, while students writing examinations were moved to Government Secondary School, Uba. The Chairman of Askira-Uba LGA, Mada Saidu, had confirmed that 39 people, including three teaching staff and 36 students, were affected in one of the attacks. Borno was one of the states at the centre of the Safe Schools Initiative following the Chibok abduction in 2014.
Kebbi and Kaduna: specific schools shut
In Kebbi state, Government Girls Secondary School, Maga, in Danko/Wasagu Local Government Area, remains shut because of insecurity. The state government closed the school following a deadly attack and abduction of students by gunmen. The closure has further heightened concerns over the safety of boarding schools in communities vulnerable to attacks.
Kaduna has generally maintained academic activities across most of its 23 LGAs, although some communities continue to experience insecurity. Findings revealed two institutions in Chikun Local Government Area that have been affected by the security crisis: Bethel High School and Greenfield University. Their names remain associated with some of the most serious school abduction incidents recorded in the state. Birnin Gwari, Giwa, Chikun, Kajuru, Kauru, and parts of Igabi continue to experience occasional disruptions arising from attacks, displacement, and fears among parents and school authorities.
Katsina: prolonged closures in frontline LGAs
In Katsina state, insecurity has led to prolonged closures of schools in several frontline LGAs. They include Batsari, Jibia, Kankara, Faskari, Sabuwa, Danmusa, Safana, Kurfi, and Dandume. At the height of the crisis, schools in vulnerable communities were closed as a precautionary measure to protect pupils and teachers. Teachers were moved to safer communities while thousands of children were left without regular access to their schools. Education authorities responded by merging many affected schools with neighbouring institutions in safer communities.
The arrangement has allowed thousands of pupils to continue learning, but several schools in frontline communities have yet to fully reopen because of lingering security concerns. The situation raises fresh concerns about Nigeria's out-of-school crisis despite over a decade of government and donor-backed school protection efforts.
