Gbenro Adesina
On Wednesday, September 28, 2022, thousands of Nigerians and members of the international community gathered at the International Conference Centre, University of Ibadan (UI), on the occasion of the 58th (7th Quadrennial) National Delegate Conference of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), themed, “Terrorism and Attack on Schools: Effects on Education and Nigeria’s Economy”. The three-day conference, coming to a close on September 30, 2022, had in attendance, notable political office holders including Governor Abubakar Bagudu of Kebbi State, professionals, academics and traditional rulers. The peak of the event is the conferment of awards of recognition on Nigerians who have contributed to the development of the education sector. The recipients of the awards were President Muhammadu Buhari, recognized for teachers’ friendly policies, Senate President, Ahmed Lawal, Speaker of the House of Assembly, Hon Femi Gbajabiamila, Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, and his Lagos State counterpart, Babajide Sanwo-Olu and the Registrar/Chief Executive Officers, Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria, Professor Josiah Ajiboye.
However, at the event, speakers upon speakers within and outside Nigeria expressed their disappointment and anger over the collapse of security in Nigeria and relatively demonstrated hopelessness in the rescue of Nigeria from terrorists, who have formed a parallel government with the All Progressive Congress (APC) led government under the watchful eyes of President Muhammadu Buhari. Hitting the nail on the head, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, the president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), noted, “This theme speaks to the heart of the sore eating deep into the heart of our country (Nigeria) now. There is nothing more cogent and more important to consider at this time than the state of insecurity and lawlessness that Nigeria has fallen to especially as it affects our teachers and pupils. It is important to stress that no effort is too much to protect our teachers who mould our future.”
Wabba said, “In the past ten years or more, our country has been plagued by the terrible blight of terrorism with roots in the North East geo-political zone. What started as extreme Islamic religious teaching by Boko Haram has quickly transformed into very militant and violent terrorist operations with numerous splinter groups, cells, and networks all over the country. The recent apprehension of suspects, probably with roots closer to the Southern part of the country, who were involved in the brutal massacre at St. Xavier Catholic Church, Owo, shows how widespread this national cancer has degenerated. Unfortunately, we are no longer dealing with Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorist activities, we are also dealing with newer strains of insurgency and militancy all over the country. In the Northeast, we are still battling to contain the unabating inferno of terrorism. In the Northwest, radical terrorists are now joining forces with dare-devil brigades of bandits and are wreaking havoc in towns and communities”.
“The March 2022 attack on the Abuja-Kaduna bound train which claimed the life of the Secretary-General of Trade Union Congress and its Kwara State Chair among other Nigerians killed or kidnapped is traced to this new terrorist alliance. In the North Central, the perennial herders-pastoralists conflict has assumed a very morbid turn with the invasion of armed herdsmen ransacking farming communities leaving blood and fire in their wake”, he added.
According to him, “in the Southern part of Nigeria, the Southwest geopolitical region has seen an uptick in terrorists’ activities including attacks on communities and worship centres, frequent blocking of highways and kidnap of travelers along the many road corridors in the zone. In the South-South, there is a stronger resurgence of militancy which business has now heavily diversified into attacks on oil facilities impacting on the environmental and socio-economic welfare of communities including schools in the zone. The Southeastern part of the country has become a citadel of an armed secessionist campaign with targeted killings of both indigenes and non-indigenes by the so-called unknown gunmen. This crisis has brought the social and economic life of the Southeast to its knees. The protracted Monday lockdown has led to the very serious dislocation of socio-economic activities in the zone. According to the Anambra State Governor, the state loses N19.6 billion every Monday owing to the lockdown. Very worrisome is the impact of the lockdown on schools in the Southeast forced to shrink lesson time to four days in a week.”
Wabba quoted GCPEA claiming that terrorists killed 2,295 teachers in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa in 2018, adding that more than 19,000 teachers have been displaced since the terrorist insurgency began in the Northeast zone.
According to him, in a 2017 report by the United Nations International Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF), 1,400 schools were damaged by terrorists in the Northeast, as of 2018, more than 1,500 schools in the Northeast were forced to shut down owing to the persistence of terrorist attacks.
He said that a May 2017 report of the United Nations revealed that 952,029 children of school age have been forced to flee their homes and take up refuge in Internally Displaced Camps heightening the scourge of 18.5 million out-of-school children roaming the streets of Nigeria.
Wabba lamented, “As it is, there is no sign that the attacks on schools, teachers and students would abate in different parts of Nigeria. Currently, the Nigerian military has converted 19 primary and secondary schools across Nigeria into operational bases. Many of the 276 girls abducted in the Chibok Government Secondary School attack are yet to be rescued. While most of the 111 girls kidnapped during the Dapchi (Yobe State) mass abduction of the students of Government Girls Science and Technical College in Dapchi, Yobe State, have been rescued and reunited with their families, the death of five of the kidnapped girls who were buried in shallow graves and the case of Leah Sharibu reminds us of how the Nigerian government has failed her citizens, our teachers and the entire education sector.”
The NLC Boss attributed the Nigerian government’s failure to protect citizens including teachers and students to mismanagement of defence budgets, and neglect of social services and protection.
Wabba argued that continuous de-investment in the education sector especially following the neo-liberation agenda of the IMF and World Bank which was forced down the throat of many African countries including Nigeria manifested in the degeneration of the security and economic situation in Nigeria as a fatalistic policy choice.
Wabba lamented the underfunding of education in Nigeria saying, “The root of the failure of government to prioritise education is not only restricted to primary and secondary schools but also to tertiary education. As we speak, the industrial action embarked on the universities’ workers has been prolonged for six months now. At the heart of the matter is the failure of the government to honour its commitment to collective bargaining agreements reached with university unions. It is unthinkable that in this age and time when the world economy is rapidly evolving into a knowledge-based economy, our universities can be locked up for this long. Bearing the brunt of this criminal abandonment of public education are the children of the poor and workers especially teachers who ironically teach others while their children are left untaught. Tragically, the culprits-the Nigerian elites-shamelessly advertise their failure by putting in our faces pictures of their children graduating from foreign universities.”
Wabba concluded by demanding that the All Progressive Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) be voted out in the 2023 presidential election saying, “We are mobilizing politically through the Labour Party to vote out the establishment parties that have brought public education to its knees. Enough of agonizing, organize the votes in your communities for positive action. This time, by the grace of God, we must take our country back.”
In the same vein, the Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission, Dr Hamid Bobboyi, pointed out that Nigeria is going through an unusual and difficult phase in its history, lamenting the large-scale violence Nigerians are witnessing in every part of the country.
Bobboyi lamented the erosion of the gain the commission has recorded in the quest to expand access and improve the quality of education due to the effect of terrorism and attacks which have affected the schools.
According to him, the attacks on educational institutions have led to the destruction of school facilities, death of teachers and learners and abduction of some.
He said, “In some places, schools have been closed as a precautionary measure against attacks. This has thrown many of our children into the street and thereby compounding the phenomenon of out-of-school children that the nation has been grappling with for some time now. With violence also came population displacement and the rise of the internal refugee crisis, which has not only taken a toll on the national economy but increased poverty and reduced the standard of living.”
Kebbi State Governor, Abubakar Baguda was concerned with the tragedy that may befall Nigeria if terrorists are allowed to hijack education.
He advocated for bringing to book those taking arms illegally or involved in criminality.
In his speech, the Executive Secretary, Tertiary Education Trust Fund, Arc Sonny Echono identified alarming depression in the economy as one of the effects of terrorism in Nigeria, stressing that terrorism is having a devastating effect on education.
“This has largely affected the ability of our teachers and students to carry out teaching and learning in a safe and conducive environment. One cannot ignore the dangers faced by teachers with the many unfortunate episodes of terrorist attacks on schools. Teachers and learners have been at the receiving end of these conflicts bedeviling the country. On countless occasions, teachers have been kidnapped along with their students, have lost properties, their livelihood, and many instances, even their lives in defence of students or at best, they bear lifelong scars”, he added.
The Director General of Michael Imodu National Institute for Labour Studies, Ilorin, Comrade Issa Aremu corroborated the above assertion by saying, “Many children are out of schools due to activities of marauders and bandits. Teachers and students have fallen victims of kidnappers.”
The Executive Secretary, National Senior Secondary Education Commission (NSSEC), Prof Benjamin Abakpa, said, “The effects of terrorism and attack on our Nigerian schools had forced thousands of students out of school, resulting in an increase in out-of-school children. It has also caused socio-Psychological effects on children and economic hardship in the country as farmers/workers are displaced.”
Also, the Director and Chief Executive of the National Teachers Institute (NTI), Professor Musa Garba Maitafsir described terrorism as worrisome and a disturbing trend that terrorism is allowed to destroy education and the economy in Nigeria.
Rhetorically, he asked, “What would be the future of a country if its schools remained closed as a result of terrorism? The students that are being trained to drive the economy in the future are the ones being sabotaged by this terror.”
He pointed out that it was regrettable that kidnapping, banditry and other activities associated with terror have become frequent activities in the country and allowed to disrupt education.
According to him, “With the Boko Haram that has plagued the North-East and banditry in the North-West, as well as kidnapping for ransom in the remaining part of the country, the future of the Nigerian child is already at stake unless certain strategies are adopted to salvage learning.”
“Fellow comrades, it is indeed worrisome to note that no one knows when these terror activities will end so that our schools will be reopened. Everyone is now a victim, either physically, for those in captivity or psychologically, for some of us living in fear of the unknown. The negative impacts include loss of learning and interest in the side of the students, idleness, among others”, he added.
He highlighted the effects of the closing of schools as a result of insecurity or fear of the unknown by the authority to include pupils remaining idle, which he described as a time-bomb, and the idled pupils could be recruited into another crime.
He said the terror activities have disrupted the economy of the country, which includes agriculture, particularly, farming, hindered transportation and impoverished parents.
He holds that learning should continue despite all the threats by bandits, Boko Haram and kidnapping.
The international community also sympathised with Nigeria over the spate of insecurity. The Ghana Association of Teachers (GNAT) states that:
“This menace has not only crippled the economy but led to many lives being lost, while properties worth millions of naira being destroyed, forcing many people to flee their homes for safety areas. Education has been profoundly affected as a result of the targeted attacks on school children, teachers, schools and other educational facilities. It must be stated that witnessing terrorism in any form by children, results in the violent denial of children’s right to education and leads to child labour and a sense of constant insecurity, anxiety, and a sense of worthlessness and powerlessness. The state is not only the end loser but stands to suffer irreparable collateral damage both now and in the future if nothing is done about it”, he explained.
The Uganda National Teachers’ Union (UNATU) noted. “We are aware that Nigeria is grappling with high levels of violence against learners in form of terrorist attacks on schools and educational institutions; others are wounded physically, psychologically and emotionally emerging from the horrific torture and degrading treatment that they have had to experience and witness in the hands of the terrorists. As UNATU, we are greatly disheartened by these occurrences and strongly condemn them. Our learners deserve an education that is of high quality and provided in environments that are safe and secure. School should be a safe space. These acts of terror are denying our learners the right to education and must be handled with utmost urgency.”
Also, the Turkey Trade Union of Educators sympathised with the trying period of education in Nigeria, condemning incessant attacks on schools which has resulted in the killing and kidnapping of many students and teachers.
In a goodwill message, the President of EhiTim-Bir-SEN, Ali Yalcin stated, “Targeting education is targeting the hopes and dreams of the brotherly Nigerians people, who are counting on their children to build the country’s future and its path of progress and prosperity. Therefore, we condemn all kinds of forms of terrorism in the strongest terms.”
In his address, the NUT President, Comrade Audu Titus Amba, noted that the choice of the theme for the conference was informed by the decision to draw public attention to the precarious issue of insecurity and its toll on the nation’s education sector.
He said, “Insecurity in and around our schools is antithetical to the effective delivery of education. The school system in Nigeria has suffered attacks by terrorists and bandits, leading to the displacement or death of some teachers and learners. It is pertinent to note that the importance of education as the bedrock of national development will be a mirage if the nation’s education system fails to provide a safe and conducive environment for teaching and learning.”
Commenting on the state of education in Nigeria, Amba said, “The education system in Nigeria from pre-primary to tertiary level is in crisis. Lecturers in public universities have been on strike for over six months ostensibly due to the failure of the federal government to honour agreements reached with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU). Teachers of primary and post-primary schools are faced with serious challenges that are bedeviling the school system. In a number of states, the new Minimum wage of N30, 000 is yet to be implemented, thereby subjecting the affected teachers, especially those of primary schools, to untold hardship. There is an acute shortage of teachers in many primary schools. There is an acute shortage of teachers in many schools across the federation, thus leaving the teachers to contend with overcrowded classrooms and excess workload. There are also the issues of poor infrastructural facilities, inadequate instructional materials, lack of opportunities for continuing professional development, poor promotion prospects and poor conditions of service in general. Regrettably, the deplorable state of education and the poor working conditions suffered by teachers have the effect of dampening their morale and the nobility of the teaching profession. This situation has, in turn, adversely affected service delivery, especially in our public education system.”
On funding, he said, “Poor funding has remained the bane of public education over the years. It is a fact that investment in education is the greatest form of investment any nation can undertake to propel economic growth and development. However, the federal budgetary allocations to education over the years have been a far cry from the internationally recommended benchmarks of at least four per cent to six per cent of GDP and/or fifteen per cent of national budget. This implies that public education is denied adequate funding and the needed investment that would support the achievement of SDG 4 – to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote at both national and sub-national levels to increase their budgetary allocations to education in line with the set global standards. May we also reiterate our call on state governments to accept and carry out their constitutional responsibilities of providing and maintaining primary education, including the payment of teachers’ salaries.”
He berated the government’s failure to acknowledge that education is a fundamental human right, which the government is obligated to respect, protect and fulfil through the provision of free, accessible and quality education for all.
“However, the government’s failure to carry out this core responsibility, especially at the primary and secondary sub-sectors of education, has resulted in the proliferation of primary schools whose motives are to make a profit through the sale of education as though it is a tradable commodity. In a bid to stem the ugly trend, the NUT is presently embarking on advocacy against privatisation and commercialistion of education under the framework of the Global Response to Privatisation and Commercialisation of Education Project in partnership with Education International (EI) and Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES)”, he stated.
In his paper, the theme speaker, Professor Josiah Olusegun Ajiboye, the Registrar/Chief Executive Officer, Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN), argued that violent political and military attacks on education have occurred in dozens of states in the past and have significantly intensified in many of the worst affected countries in recent years.
He noted that in Nigeria, a notable attack on education was carried out on April 14, 2014, where over 300 school girls were abducted from their school compound in Chibok, Borno State and the country has since then witnessed several more attacks on schools like the Dapchi students, Jangere abductions and Federal Government College, Kebbi staff and students.
He said, “The attacks are carried out against students; teachers, academics, and education personnel, including support staff, such as transport drivers, caretakers and nightwatchmen; and education officials; trade unionists; and workers. They include killing, injuring, abduction, kidnapping, forced recruitment as soldiers or for labour, forced disappearance, illegal detention, torture and sexual violence. They also include the damage or destruction of education buildings and facilities, including transport; occupation of education buildings and facilities for military/security purposes; and violent attacks on the education process, such as attacks on convoys carrying examination papers. They also include the prevention of repair, rehabilitation, or reconstruction of attacked schools by the use or threat of use of force”.
Ajiboye went statistical to report that between 2020-2021, out of 3,000 attacks on schools which occurred in 27 of the 28 profile countries by GCPEA, 14 were carried out in Nigeria’s northcentral and northwest regions; on December 11, 2020, over 344 students were kidnapped from a boy’s secondary school Kankara, Kastina State, February 17, 2021, three teachers, 27 students, two non-teaching staff, and nine others were abducted from the Government Science in Kagara, Niger State, February 26, 2021, 317 school girls were abducted by bandits in GGSS Jangebe, Zamfara State, May 30, 2021, 136 students and three teachers were abducted from SalihuTanko Islamic School in Tegina, Niger State, and June 17, 2021, armed assailants abducted at least 80 students, mostly girls, and five teachers from the Federal Government College Birnin-Yauri, Kebbi State.
Ajiboye pointed out that tertiary institutions are not left out of attack saying that on March 11, 2021, 38 students were kidnapped from Federal College of Forestry, Afaka, Kaduna State, April 20, 2021, at least 20 students and two staff were kidnapped from Greenfield University, Kaduna State, August 19, 2021, gunmen suspected to be Fulani bandits kidnapped a lecturer with the Aba State University Uturu, his niece and two others, and November 2, 2021, gunmen abducted six persons in the University of Abuja including two professors, a deputy registrar and three family members.
According to him, attacks on schools are precipitated by the perpetrators who oppose a certain ideological reason, such as girls’ education and view schools and their students and personnel, as agents or symbols of a state system that they oppose.
He cited the UN reporting that 1,436 children were abducted from schools in Nigeria between January and September 2021.
Among the recommendations he offered to curb attacks on schools include the federal government reviewing its security architecture to address the deteriorating security situation in Nigeria, implementing to the fullest the Safe Schools Declarations Guidelines endorsed by Nigeria in 2015 and ratified by the president in 2019, that government at all levels should facilitate the immediate implementation of the National Policy on Safety, Security and Violence Free Schools (NPSSVFS) by making budgetary provisions and increment of domestic education expenditure of 50 per cent over the next two years as committed at the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) Education Summit.
