CESOSC faults Northern Governors over school closures, Says children ‘paying the price’
Kola Oyelere, Kano
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The Centre of Educational Support for Out-of-School Children (CESOSC) has criticised northern governors for shutting down schools in response to rising student abductions, warning that the decision risks pushing thousands of children permanently out of the classroom.
In a strongly worded statement issued on Saturday in Abuja, CESOSC described the closures as “a severe betrayal” of vulnerable children, arguing that insecurity should not justify halting education without providing structured alternatives for continued learning.
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According to the organisation, while the threat posed by insurgents and bandits remains serious, “leadership requires courage — not retreat.” The group insisted that closing schools should only be considered as a last resort and must be accompanied by immediate measures such as relocating students to safer learning centres, deploying additional security personnel to school environments, and establishing community-based learning hubs.
“Children should not pay the price for government failures,” the statement read. “Every day a child is kept away from school deepens poverty, widens inequality, and strengthens the very forces that threaten our communities.”
CESOSC urged northern governors to reopen all closed schools with enhanced security arrangements, provide alternative learning options for displaced pupils, and work with security agencies, traditional rulers, and civil society groups to develop a coordinated regional strategy for safe schooling.
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The Centre reiterated its commitment to supporting state governments in designing inclusive and practical solutions that guarantee children uninterrupted access to education, noting that education remains “the strongest weapon against insecurity.”
The statement was signed by CESOSC Director General, Dr. Abubakar Isah Bakori.