The Federal Government has clarified that reports claiming a nationwide shutdown of all government secondary schools are inaccurate, insisting that only 41 Unity Schools were temporarily closed due to security threats in high-risk states.
The Ministry of Education, through its spokesperson, explained that the decision followed intelligence reports warning of coordinated criminal plans targeting boarding schools in vulnerable communities. According to the ministry, security agencies advised precautionary closure to avoid large-scale student abductions — a trend that has increasingly challenged the Nigerian education system.
Officials stressed that the measure is not indefinite. A phased reopening strategy has already been drafted, including deployment of armed personnel, installation of perimeter fortifications, and digital surveillance upgrades. Schools in safer regions continue to operate normally.
Parents’ associations, however, remain uneasy, raising concerns about continued learning disruptions and the psychological impact on students. Civil society groups argue that “reactive school closure” has become too frequent and demanded a comprehensive national Safe Schools Framework that moves beyond emergency shutdowns.
