April 15, (THEWILL) – United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), has urged the Nigeria government to secure children’s education, saying a report shows that just 37 percent of schools across 10 states have early warning systems in place to identify threats, such as school attacks
According to UNICEF Representative in Nigeria, Ms Cristian Munduate, said the the ‘Minimum Standards for Safe Schools (MSSS), Monitoring Report release to newsmen in Maiduguri, on Monday, it’s revealing 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 urged.
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 to 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 percent 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 lack significantly, with fulfilment rates at just 25 percent and 26 percent, respectively.
