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| Insecurity Impacts Kaduna Education – Governor Uba Sani Expresses Concern |
At a capacity training event held by the Nigeria Police Force Schools Protection Squad in Kaduna on Wednesday, Sani noted a decrease in school enrolment as a consequence of security issues.
Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna state has expressed concern that the state's educational system is in crisis due to insecurity.
At a capacity training event held by the Nigeria Police Force Schools Protection Squad in Kaduna on Wednesday, Sani noted a decrease in school enrolment as a consequence of security issues.
He detailed that in certain local government areas, the threat of insecurity has necessitated the merging of schools, thereby increasing the number of children not attending school.
The governor pointed out, "the recent abduction of 135 students from the LEA Primary and Junior Secondary School, Kuriga, in Chikun LGA, starkly demonstrates the severe effects of insecurity on educational access and safety within the state."
He asserted that a nation's human capital development and significant progress are unattainable without ensuring the safety and security of educational institutions.
He continued, "Kaduna has consistently fought against banditry, terrorism, abductions, and other criminal acts.
"These hostile entities have interrupted the socio-economic dynamics of the impacted locales and pose a threat to our educational enhancement efforts.
"The educational sector of Kaduna State is experiencing a crisis, evidenced by a reduction of over 200,000 primary school students in the 2022/2023 academic year compared to the prior year."
The governor expressed dismay at the sharp decline (from 2,111,969 in 2021/2022 to 1,734,704 in 2022/2023), attributing it mainly to insecurity.
He mentioned that in LGAs such as Chikun, Birnin Gwari, Kajuru, Giwa, and Igabi, the necessity for school consolidation due to insecurity has escalated the number of children not in school.
To prevent the disruption of education in areas prone to conflict and terrorist activities, he mentioned the initiation of merging 359 schools into safer locations.
Sani praised the federal government for initiating the N144.8 billion Safe Schools Financing Plan in 2022, which was formulated through extensive consultations and strategic interactions with key stakeholders in the educational and security sectors, both nationally and regionally.
In addition, Halima Iliya, the National Coordinator of the Safe Schools Programme, stated that the federal government has devised a Medium Term National Plan on Financing Safe Schools (2023-2026) in partnership with state and local governments, as well as essential government agencies, including military and security forces.
