FG: Insurgency Destroyed 497 Classrooms, Left 2.8m Learners in Need of Support

Funmi Ogundare

The Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, yesterday, expressed concern over the  security situation in the country, saying insurgency has  destroyed 497 classrooms and left 2.8 million school learners in need of education-in-emergency support.

This, he added, has had a domino effect on the literacy level of Nigerians and has led to approximately six of every 10 children under the age of 18 years experiencing some form of violence and half of the children experiencing violence before the age of 10.

Adamu, who was represented by the Director, General Services, Vivian Wategre, spoke at the 2022  summit of the Education Writers Association of Nigeria( EWAN), themed: ‘Towards Safe Schools in Nigeria, in Lagos.

She noted that it has also further aggravated the already challenging out-of-school menace plaguing Nigeria.

“Putting this in context, the attacks on schools are not limited to Nigeria as the trend is global. In the period between 2012 and 2016 alone, more than 600 teachers were reportedly killed in attacks while more than 19,000 were displaced (if this is a global statistics, then, you may wish to add ‘globally’),” he said.

Despite these challenges, he said the government was not deterred in its commitment to creating a good environment for education, which would increase literacy levels in the country.

He commended EWAN for its efforts in putting together the programme saying that its action was a step in the right direction that would help mitigate the effects of the challenges.

The Director, Senior Secondary Education, Federal Ministry of Education, Hajia Binta Abdulkadir,  disclosed that with the efforts put in place by the government including the Basic Education Service Delivery  for All, BESDA, among other initiatives, the number of out-school-children in the country has reduced drastically and could not have been as high as 20 million as claimed in some quarters.

The Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu who was represented by his Special Adviser on Education, Mr. Tokunbo Wahab, expressed concern over the security situation in the country, saying it should be a collaborative efforts between all stakeholders.

The Chairman of EWAN, Mr. Mojeed Alabi, said the theme was chosen to draw attention to the importance of safety of stakeholders in schools, adding that there was need to address such issues.

“There will be difficulty in addressing other issues in the country if such is not addressed. Having safe schools, is the responsibility of everyone. If we do not address the issue of security of schools in Nigeria, it will be difficult to address any issues in the country,” he said.

President, the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS), Chief Yomi Otubela, said the association has churned out strategies towards achieving safe schools such as members of staff signing safety policy, and putting up inscriptions on the walls of the school to constantly serve as a safety reminder.