Public and private schools in Taraba, Kebbi and Kwara States have been directed to reopen following the insecurity scare that led to their closure last year.

In Taraba, the state government has directed that all schools should operate the day schedule, while boarding houses remain closed.
Commissioner for Education, Augustina Godwin, said the directive followed a nationwide surge in kidnappings, including attacks on schools in several states. In Taraba, she explained, boarding facilities had become particularly vulnerable, with recent incidents heightening concerns about student safety.

Education stakeholders, however, warned that the policy could deepen inequality. For decades, boarding schools served as a bridge for students from remote communities, offering access to education that geography would otherwise deny them. Without hostels, school heads fear that only families in urban centres or with reliable resources can sustain regular attendance.

The Christian Reformed Church–Nigeria (CRC-N), in a communiqué issued after its 161st General Church Council in Takum, warned that while insecurity in schools is real, shutting down boarding facilities could harm national development.

TheKebbi State government, on its part, directed all public and private schools to resume academic activities today. The Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Dr Halima Muhammad-Bande, gave the directive while briefing newsmen yesterday in Birnin Kebbi.

She said the order applies strictly to schools situated within urban centres, adding that learning institutions located on the outskirts and in remote areas were exempted from the resumption order. Her words: “The state government has put in place adequate security measures to ensure the safety of pupils, students and teachers in the affected schools.

“We are appealing to parents and guardians to release their wards to resume school as scheduled.The government is doing everything humanly possible to secure all schools that are reopening.”

The commissioner reiterated that only schools within cities and major towns were covered by the directive, stressing that no school in remote or vulnerable areas should resume until further notice.

Similarly, the Kwara State government also directed the reopening of public and private schools fromtoday, except in areas currently under special security surveillance.

The directive was announced in a statement yesterday by the Ministry of Education and Human Capital Development. The ministry’s press secretary, Peter Amogbonjaye, stated that the decision followed an assessment of the security situation and ongoing operations by security agencies.

“We welcome our children and teachers back to school across the state. Learning activities are to resume immediately in all but areas earlier identified to be under special security surveillance,” the Commissioner for Education and Human Capital Development, Lawal Olohungbebe, said in the statement.

He added that the phased resumption was intended to protect pupils and teachers while security agencies continue operations in affected communities.