In its fresh report on ‘Attack on Education in Nigeria’, the organisation noted that since February 2014 when about 276 girls were kidnapped from Government Girls School, Chibok, there has been an increase in cases of abducted pupils.
It said abduction of learners witnessed a geopolitical shift from North-East to North-West and North-Central geopolitical zones.
The international body explained that while criminal insurgency groups with political ideologies are largely responsible for attacks on education in the North-East, those of the North West and North Central were mostly for economic gains.
Launched through Emir of Zazzau Kingdom, Zaria, Kaduna State, Ahmed Nuhu Bamali, SCI pointed out that data from the state’s Ministry of Education showed that 28 schools had been attacked in 29 incidents during the period under review, with 17 learning institutions assaulted in Kajuru Local Council alone during the time.
Of the 99 schools shut in Katsina, 30,870 pupils were affected.
It lamented that despite the endorsement of the Safe Schools Declaration in 2015, the initiative has remained largely unimplemented at the state and community levels, as rural learning institutions remain vulnerable to attacks.
The report, thus, recommended the need for the government to prioritise funding and expansion of the programme for effectiveness.
Country Director at Save the Children Nigeria, Famari Barro, said more needs to be done to prevent attacks and support children and their families.
