Kebbi and Kwara state governments have announced the reopening of schools in selected areas, signalling a measured return to academic activities after months of disruption caused by persistent bandit attacks.
In Kebbi State, the government has approved the immediate resumption of some primary and secondary schools located within major cities and towns. The decision follows the closure of schools after a deadly bandit attack on Government Girls’ Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, in Danko/Wasagu Local Government Area last November, during which 25 schoolgirls were abducted and a school guard was killed.
The Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Dr Halimatu Bande, made the announcement on Sunday during a briefing in Birnin Kebbi. She said the resumption takes effect from Monday, January 5, 2026, but will apply strictly to schools in urban centres.
“Only schools located within major cities and towns are approved to resume at this stage,” Bande said, stressing that schools in rural areas would reopen later, subject to further improvements in the security situation.
According to her, the phased reopening is a strategic risk-management step designed to protect students and teachers while gradually restoring full academic operations across the state. She directed education secretaries and zonal directors to ensure strict compliance and effective monitoring, while urging parents and guardians to allow their children return to school without delay.
Bande also commended Governor Nasir Idris for what she described as his unwavering commitment to education, noting that the administration remains focused on providing a safe, inclusive and quality learning environment for children in the state.
Meanwhile, in Kwara State, the Ministry of Education and Human Capital Development has ordered the resumption of academic activities in all schools from Monday, with the exception of areas still under special security surveillance.
The directive, conveyed in a statement by the ministry’s Press Secretary, Peter Amogbonjaye, quoted the Commissioner for Education, Dr Lawal Olohungbebe, as saying that learning would resume immediately in all but a few flashpoints.
“Learning activities are to resume immediately in all but areas earlier identified to be under special security surveillance,” the statement said, adding that normal school activities would return to those areas once security conditions improve.
Schools in parts of Ifelodun, Ekiti, Irepodun, Isin and Oke Ero local government areas had been shut since November 2025 as part of emergency measures to protect pupils and teachers amid escalating insecurity.
To mitigate learning gaps, especially in areas where schools remain closed, the Kwara government has rolled out a radio-based learning programme in partnership with UNICEF and the Nigeria Learning Passport. The lessons will be broadcast on the state-owned 99.1 Midland FM from January 5, with scheduled sessions spread across the week, while plans are underway to include additional radio stations.
Officials say the initiative underscores the government’s resolve to sustain learning despite security challenges, even as broader efforts continue to restore stability and normalcy across affected communities.
