As part of efforts to safeguard the lives of schoolchildren in Kaduna, Governor Uba Sani has announced plans to relocate 359 schools from security high-risk areas to safer communities within the state.
Chief of staff to the governor, Sani Kila, made the announcement during a capacity-building programme organised by the Nigeria Police Force School Protection Squad in Kaduna.
According to him, the initiative is part of the federal government’s Safe School Initiative, which aims to protect educational institutions, students, and teachers from terrorist attacks.
While lamenting over the disruptive impact of non-state actors on socio-economic activities, Mr Kila emphasised the critical importance of safeguarding the state’s educational sector.
He highlighted the alarming decline in school enrollment, lamenting a significant drop of over 200,000 primary school pupils during the 2022–2023 academic session compared to the previous year.
Kila said: “Kaduna State’s educational system is facing a crisis of declining enrolment, with over 200,000 fewer primary school pupils recorded in the 2022-2023 academic session compared to the previous year.
“This dramatic drop [from 2,111,969 in 2021/2022 to 1,734,704 in 2022/2023] is largely attributed to insecurity.
“In several local government areas, particularly Chikun, Birnin Gwari, Kajuru, Giwa, and Igabi, insecurity has forced school consolidation, further pushing up the number of out-of-school children.”
“Incidents like the kidnapping of 135 students from the LEA Primary and Junior Secondary School, Kuriga, Chikun Local Government, tragically illustrate the devastating impact of insecurity on education access and safety.
“To ensure uninterrupted education for children residing in conflict-prone and terrorist-infested areas, this administration has commenced the merging of 359 schools with those situated in safer locations.”
The governor commended the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, for establishing the Schools Protection Squad.
