At least 188 public schools have been shut down across Northern Nigeria as insecurity continues to devastate communities, Daily Trust has found.
A survey by our correspondents revealed that frequent bandit attacks have forced many schools to close, while some have been converted into makeshift camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs).
The breakdown shows that Zamfara State recorded the highest number of closures with 39 schools, followed by Katsina (52) and Benue (55). In Niger State 30 schools have been shut, while Sokoto and Kaduna States each have six schools under lock.
Education officials and community members warned that the actual number could be higher, as insecurity has made it difficult to access several rural areas for verification.
The rising closure of schools has heightened fears of worsening the out-of-school children crisis in Nigeria, particularly in the North, which already accounts for the majority of the country’s 20 million out-of-school children.
