Get Guardian on GoogleThe United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has identified significant gaps in educational infrastructure, access to quality learning and basic facilities in Benue State, particularly in communities and Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps affected by insecurity.
The findings are contained in a Rapid Education Needs Assessment Report unveiled in Makurdi at a stakeholders’ meeting organised in collaboration with the Benue State Government.
The assessment, conducted in July 2026, covered six local government areas severely affected by the humanitarian crisis. It examined the educational conditions of displaced children and those living in host communities.
Presenting the report, UNICEF Education Specialist at its Enugu Field Office, Believe Eke, said the assessment was designed to establish the actual educational needs of children whose access to learning had been disrupted by insecurity and displacement.
Eke expressed concern that children living in IDP camps were often overlooked in education planning, stressing that their circumstances required special attention and targeted interventions.
He said the assessment revealed that many displaced children still lacked access to basic and quality education, while several schools operated with inadequate classroom facilities.
He also identified insufficient water, sanitation and hygiene facilities as major challenges affecting learning environments, adding that flexible and alternative learning arrangements were needed for children unable to attend conventional schools.
The UNICEF official disclosed that the organisation had commenced interventions in some affected communities, including the renovation of damaged classrooms at Abagena IDP camp and the enrolment of more than 1,000 children.
He added that learning facilitators had been engaged and trained to improve the quality of education provided to displaced children.
According to him, UNICEF was also supplying learning materials and providing psychosocial support to children and teachers affected by the humanitarian crisis.
Speaking on the state’s response, the Commissioner for Education and Knowledge Management, Dr Margaret Adamu, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Secondary and Tertiary Education, Mrs Helen Nambativ, said the assessment would provide the government and development partners with reliable information to address challenges in the education sector.
She identified insecurity, displacement, the growing number of out-of-school children, inadequate infrastructure and teacher-related challenges as major obstacles to effective learning across the state.
Adamu said the value of the assessment would depend on how effectively its findings translated into improved educational opportunities and better learning outcomes for children.
She urged stakeholders to examine the recommendations carefully and ensure they were practical, realistic and capable of implementation.
The commissioner reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to expanding access to education, improving teachers’ welfare and capacity, and providing conducive learning environments for children across Benue.
She also commended UNICEF for its continued technical and institutional support, calling for stronger collaboration among government agencies, development partners, communities and other education stakeholders.
The meeting ended with the presentation of the Rapid Education Needs Assessment Report to representatives of government ministries, departments and agencies, as well as other stakeholders, for validation and further action.
