The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has renewed its call for stronger protections for students across Nigeria, warning that persistent attacks on schools continue to endanger children and undermine the country’s education system.

Reaffirming its commitment to the Safe Schools Declaration — launched at the First International Conference on Safe Schools in Oslo, Norway — UNICEF emphasised that the global initiative seeks to reduce attacks on education and protect learning environments worldwide.

The agency said it is working closely with government partners, civil society groups and local communities to strengthen child protection systems and expand access to safe, inclusive learning spaces. It stressed that reinforcing safeguards in and around schools is vital to preventing future tragedies.

UNICEF noted that attacks on schools and the abduction of students remain major obstacles to learning in Nigeria. A 2024 UNICEF report marking ten years since the Chibok schoolgirls’ abduction revealed that only 37 per cent of schools across 10 states have early warning systems capable of detecting threats such as violence or armed attacks.

Further findings from the Minimum Standards for Safe Schools (MSSS) Monitoring Report underscored stark disparities in safety levels across six critical areas: school governance, violence prevention, natural hazards, conflict exposure, everyday risks and safe infrastructure. According to UNICEF, these gaps highlight the urgent and unfinished task of ensuring that every Nigerian child can learn without fear.

Reiterating that education is a fundamental right, the agency insisted that safeguarding children, teachers and school facilities must remain both a national and global priority.