A wave of violent attacks and kidnappings in northern Nigeria is forcing schools to close. Experts warn that the escalating insecurity is pushing the country toward a profound education crisis.
00:00Sixteen-year-old Esther Sundes should be in the classroom, preparing for her final exams.
00:06But after the school shut down following kidnapping threats, her days are now spent assisting her father in his pharmacy.
00:11She fears that every moment away from school pushes her dreams further out of reach.
00:16I feel so bad about the situation now.
00:18And I'm supposed to be in school studying and preparing for my Waiyeka mock exams, but now I'm at home.
00:25And I feel that knowledge has been lost. And I also feel that it is going to affect my future.
00:33Esther is one of the thousands of students forced out of class after 47 federal unity schools were shut down nationwide following a wave of security incidents.
00:42Her father, Sunde Ugoho, says the government should have done more to protect children like Esther.
00:48I expected the government to step up with the occasion because that is what they should do.
00:54We are bringing the North Security to guide the school to make sure that these children go back to their school.
01:01Nigeria's first major school adoption happened in 2014 when 276 girls were taken from Chibok.
01:09Since then, repeated raids have forced dozens of schools to close.
01:13Just last November, gunmen attacked and abducted 24 schoolgirls in Kebi State, all of whom were later rescued.
01:19That same month, gunmen kidnapped 303 pupils and 12 staff in Niger State, the deadliest attack so far.
01:26They surged in violent assaults, heightened national fear, and left classrooms empty.
01:32Teachers like Bakore Moyo warned that learning are stored, but the damage can be reduced if the government acts quickly.
01:39We'd like the government to provide an alternative, even if it's an online school.
01:43And the government should make the accessories available because the demographic of the learners we have are not people who can afford some of all these accessories.
01:51So the government should look into providing online materials for both the teachers and the learners.
01:57Nigeria's security crisis is deepening an already fragile education system.
02:01The United Nations estimate that more than 10 million are currently out of school.
02:05Analysts attributes Nigeria's instability to its weak security infrastructure and the absence of government's presence in many communities.
02:13Shortage of manpower, one. Poor training, two. Poor welfare. Then gargets. Then again, non-availability of their structures in many parts of Nigeria.
02:28If you go to many remotest parts of Nigeria today, they are ungoverned.
02:32Experts heard that their insecurity is also fueled by poverty and lack of education. Conditions that leave young people vulnerable to recruitment by insurgents.
02:41To end terrorism, we need to properly educate people. Illiteracy and poverty are responsible factors.
02:48Some of these boys that you see are joining insurgency and whatever is poverty. Some are given as least as 5,000.
02:54Governments should introduce social security. Then education in certain parts of the country should be made free.
03:03President Bola Tinumbu has declared a national state of emergency on security. A move meant to reassure families and show governments resolve to confront the crisis.
03:13At the same time, authorities have opened investigation into how $30 million, mostly from foreign donations, was spent on the Safe School Initiative, launched in 2014 after repeated attacks.
03:24The government insists securing schools is now a priority, announcing new security chiefs, expanded police recruitment and closer cooperation with the United States.
03:35But for students like Esther, the question remains, when will they finally return to class?
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