Education
Human Rights Watch Urges FG to Protect Schools from Attacks
By Adedapo Adesanya
Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called on the Nigerian government to secure the safe release of students and teachers recently kidnapped in the country’s northwest and take concrete steps to protect schools and communities from further attacks.
In a statement on Tuesday, the rights body said, “The groups responsible for the kidnappings should immediately release the students and teachers they are holding captive.”
On November 18, 2025, over 20 schoolgirls were kidnapped by unidentified armed men from the Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga, Kebbi state.
Just three days later, on November 21, about 303 students and 12 teachers were kidnapped at St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary School in Papiri, Niger state.
“These mass school kidnappings once again lay bare the deliberate targeting of students, teachers, and schools in Nigeria’s deteriorating security environment,” said Ms Anietie Ewang, Nigeria researcher at Human Rights Watch. “The deepening crisis underscores the government’s failure to protect vulnerable communities.”
Human Rights Watch said it spoke with parents of two of the girls abducted in Kebbi state. Mrs Isa Nazifi, whose 13-year-old daughter Khadija Nazifi, a junior secondary school student, was among those abducted.
“I immediately took a motorbike and rushed to the school, where I found my second daughter, also a student at the school. She told me Khadija had been taken. We are extremely worried. My wife is in tears. I will stay here at the school until my daughter returns. If I go home without her, what will I tell my family?”
Also, Mr Sani Zimri, whose daughter, Salima Sani Zimri, is a senior secondary school student who was also abducted, said he had heard rumors from other parents of a possible attack by bandits the week before the incident.
“We developed confidence after seeing military operatives surveilling the area, only to realize that there were no security operatives on the premises for the entire three hours that the incident occurred,” he was quoted in a statement by HRW.
The rights group also noted that the development was not new and dates back as far as 2014 and has been occuring with successive governments.
Human Rights Watch said Nigerian authorities have failed to apply lessons from previous attacks to create early warning systems and other measures that could prevent these atrocities.
In response to the recent kidnappings, the government has promised to rescue the kidnapped students and hold those responsible accountable. President Bola Tinubu directed security agencies to act swiftly to bring the girls back while also urging local communities to share intelligence.
The authorities have also shut down 47 federal secondary schools known as Federal Unity Colleges, and some states including Katsina, Taraba, and Niger have also closed schools or restricted school activities, particularly boarding institutions.
The rights group lamented that while these measures are aimed at protecting students, they have disrupted learning for thousands of children, denying them access to education and the social and psychological support schools provide.
“Without concrete measures to provide alternative learning opportunities to ensure continuity in their education, the students are at risk of falling behind academically and facing long term setbacks in their development,” the statement added.
It explains that since Nigeria is a signatory to the Safe Schools Declaration, the government should move with urgency to advance a proposal to introduce legislation to implement the Safe Schools Declaration.
“Children in Nigeria have the right to go to school without fearing for their lives,” Ms Ewang said. “Nigerian authorities should prioritize the safe release of the kidnapped children and their teachers and bring those responsible for their abduction to justice.”
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
A significant step has been taken by the duo of Alternative Bank (AltBank) and the Busayo Ademuyiwa Foundation (BAF) to address the declining access to trained educators across Nigeria.
The two organisations recently a one-day capacity programme for teachers in the country at the 2025 BAF Teachers’ Conference in Lagos.
The event delivered hands-on training to hundreds of primary and secondary school teachers drawn from underserved communities across the country.
Nigeria’s education sector sits at a critical inflection point. With over 65 per cent of classrooms in underserved regions lacking access to trained educators or modern teaching tools, the learning crisis represents a structural failure with long-term economic consequences if not adequately addressed.
Rather than focus on policy rhetoric or aspirational targets, the conference tackled hard realities including teacher burnout, mental resilience, classroom innovation on a budget, and digital skill development.
Sessions were designed for practicality and replication, enabling attendees to take back immediately usable tools and frameworks to their schools. Specialised workshops on emotional health, low-tech teaching methodologies, and inclusive learning design underscored a broader commitment to both teacher well-being and student outcomes.
Key stakeholders in attendance included policymakers, school heads, and representatives from Nigeria’s corporate CSR sector, underscoring the convergence between social investment and educational equity.
Featured speakers included the president of the Nigerian Union of Teachers, Mr Audu Titus Amba; the General Manager of BIC Nigeria, Mr Anthony Amawe; the founder of Almanah Hope Foundation, Hope Ifeyinwa Nwakwesi; and Doyinsola Jawando-Adebomehin of Sequoia Span.
“The people who hold up Nigeria’s education system don’t need applause, they need backup,” the Executive Director for South at AltBank, Mrs Korede Demola-Adeniyi, stated.
“We see this platform as critical infrastructure. Equipping a teacher with the right tools and support is the most direct path to long-term national productivity,” she added.
“The challenge in Nigeria’s education sector is execution, not awareness. This partnership is part of a broader operational strategy to find the pressure points, inject support where it changes outcomes, and back it with measurable value. Our role is catalytic, not just financial,” Mrs Demola-Adeniyi stated further.
Business Post reports that the conference aligns with the bank’s HEART Strategy, a long-term investment thesis focused on Health, Education, Agriculture, Renewable Energy, and Technology.
Under this framework, the Bank continues to deploy capital and partnerships into scalable solutions targeting Nigeria’s most underserved sectors.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Plans have been concluded by Nigerian Breweries to support about 1,000 Nigerian students in Lagos, Ogun, and Enugu States.
The foremost brewing company is carrying out this empowerment initiative with a leading non-profit organisation, FATE Foundation, through the Orange Corners Student Ambassadors Programme of the Netherlands.
This partnership marks a significant step in advancing youth entrepreneurship in Nigeria, equipping young people with the knowledge, skills, and opportunities needed to build sustainable businesses and contribute meaningfully to the nation’s economy.
This is because the scheme is to promote entrepreneurship and offer networking opportunities in Nigerian tertiary institutions. Ambassadors are selected from specific universities to inspire students to see entrepreneurship as a desirable career path and to foster a culture of innovation within universities.
It targets students aged 18–35 currently enrolled in tertiary institutions across Lagos, Ogun, and Enugu States.
“The partnership reinforces Nigerian Breweries’ long-standing commitment to youth empowerment and entrepreneurship development. Through initiatives like this, we are creating pathways for the next generation of entrepreneurs and business leaders in Nigeria,” the Corporate Affairs Director for Nigerian Breweries, Mr Uzodinma Odenigbo, stated.
He further highlighted the company’s track record in youth empowerment, noting that since the renewed focus on youth empowerment and entreprenuership, Nigerian Breweries has impacted 2,365 young Nigerians across 24 states and the FCT.
Also speaking on the partnership, the Executive Director of FATE Foundation, Ms Adenike Adeyemi, expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration between Nigerian Breweries and the Orange Corners Programme.
“Nigerian Breweries has been a longstanding partner with Orange Corners Nigeria in many ways. We are delighted to have the company continue to support the Orange Corners Programme and elated that this commitment will reach an additional 1000 young Nigerians leveraging the proven Orange Corners Student Ambassadors framework,” she said.
Ms Adeyemi outlined FATE Foundation’s role to include designing and delivering the training curriculum, managing student registration and participation, maintaining accurate records of all beneficiaries, and coordinating all logistical and technical aspects to ensure successful programme delivery.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The federal government has announced the reopening of the 47 unity schools earlier shut down due to security concerns on November 21.
This was disclosed in a statement by the Federal Ministry of Education on Thursday.
It said that the decision to reopen the affected colleges across the country reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to safeguarding students and ensuring the continuity of education.
On November 18, 2025, over 20 schoolgirls were kidnapped by unidentified armed men from the Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga, Kebbi state.
Just three days later, on November 21, about 303 students and 12 teachers were kidnapped at St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary School in Papiri, Niger state.
In response, the federal government shut down 47 Federal Unity Colleges, and some states including Katsina, Taraba, and Niger also closed schools or restricted school activities, particularly boarding institutions.
Rights group including Human Rights Watch lamented that while these measures were aimed at protecting students, they disrupted learning for thousands of children, denied them access to education, and the social and psychological support schools provide.
FULL LIST OF AFFECTED UNITY COLLEGES
North-West:
FGGC Minjibir, FTC Ganduje, FGGC Zaria, FTC Kafanchan, FGGC Bakori, FTC Dayi, FGC Daura, FGGC Tambuwal, FSC Sokoto, FTC Wurno, FGC Gusau, FGC Anka, FGGC Gwandu, FGC Birnin Yauri, FTC Zuru, FGGC Kazaure, FGC Kiyawa, FTC Hadejia.
North-East:
FGGC Potiskum, FGC Buni Yadi, FTC Gashua, FTC Michika, FGC Ganye, FGC Azare, FTC Misau, FGGC Bajoga, FGC Billiri, FTC Zambuk.
North-Central:
FGGC Bida, FGC New-Bussa, FTC Kuta-Shiroro, FGA Suleja, FGC Ilorin, FGGC Omu-Aran, FTC Gwanara, FGC Ugwolawo, FGGC Kabba, FGGC Bwari, FGC Rubochi, FGGC Abaji.
South-West:
FTC Ikare Akoko, FTC Ijebu-Imusin, FTC Ushi-Ekiti, FTC Ogugu.
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