Nigeria’s Education-Insecurity Crisis: A Call for Inclusive Governance and Investment

A joint report by IA-Foundation and PSJ-UK has highlighted the crisis resulting from the “unholy marriage between insecurity and education” in Nigeria. The report, titled “Nigeria’s Illiteracy and Insecurity: An unholy marriage,” recommends that Africa’s most populous country should embrace inclusive governance, invest in education infrastructure, and improve security to tackle the rampaging insecurity and worsening education system in Nigeria. It highlights issues like terrorism, kidnappings, and school closures fuelling the global record-breaking figure of 20.2 million out-of-school children in the country.

The report argues that education, which is the cornerstone of a nation’s development, is under siege in Nigeria. Schools once regarded as safe havens for learning have become targets of violence and terror. Over the last decade, since the 2014 Chibok School girls’ abduction, Nigeria has been grappling with an alarming escalation of insecurity within its education sector.

To address insecurity in Nigeria, there is a need for a human security approach to educational policy, recognizing and attempting to enlarge the symbiotic relationship between education, cultures, environment, and diverse social and economic struggles, alongside strong institutional mechanisms. Education must aim to unite people around collective endeavours and provide knowledge, science, and innovation needed to shape sustainable futures for all anchored in social, economic, and environmental justice.

In line with the UNESCO 2022 report, there were an estimated 3.6 million internally displaced people from 2020-2023, 14,437 people were abducted, and 16,558 deaths recorded across Nigeria.