On 10 years of Chibok school girls abduction, UNICEF urges action to secure children education in Nigeria

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By Ladi Jossy, Maiduguri

United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has urged Nigeria government to secure children’s education, saying report shows that just 37 per cent of schools across 10 states have early warning systems to identify threats, such as school attacks

According to UNICEF Representative in Nigeria, Ms. Cristian Munduate made the remark in the ‘Minimum Standards for Safe Schools (MSSS) Monitoring Report’ released to newsmen in Maiduguri on Monday.

She said it revealed a stark reality, the journey toward ensuring every Nigerian child can learn in a safe environment is far from over.

“The kidnapping of the Chibok girls was a wake-up call to the severe risks our children face in their pursuit of education.

“Today, reflecting on this tragedy and other recent abductions, it is evident that our efforts to safeguard our children’s futures must be amplified.

“Given these alarming statistics, we must address not only the symptoms but also the root causes of this crisis. Education is a fundamental right and a crucial pathway out of poverty. Yet, for too many Nigerian children,it remains an unattainable dream,”Cristian said.

She noted that the analysis comes on the heels of disturbing reports of violence affecting schools with brazen abductions of students on the rise.

”In the last 10 years, conflict-related violence has led to more than 1,680 children abducted while at school and elsewhere; 180 children killed due to attacks on schools; an estimated 60 school staff kidnapped and 14 killed; and more than 70 attacks on schools, according verified reports by the United Nations.

“The threat of abduction of students is severely affecting children’s learning. As of 2021, over one million children were afraid to return to school, and in 2020, around 11,500 schools were closed due to attacks.”

The report revealed that Borno State, with a 70 per cent fulfilment of the standards, exemplifies a strong commitment to child safety amidst adversity. Yobe State also demonstrates promising progress. In contrast, Kaduna and Sokoto states lag significantly, with fulfilment rates at just 25 per cent and 26 per cent, respectively.