No fewer than 1,683 schoolchildren were abducted in Nigeria between 2014 and 2022 as bandits and insurgent groups carried out at least 70 attacks on schools across the country, a new report has revealed.
An international humanitarian organisation Save the Children International (SCI) released the report to commemorate the 2026 International Day of Education.
It also disclosed that 184 pupils and students were killed during the attacks, while school infrastructure was damaged in 25 affected institutions.
Unveiled in Katsina, the report identified the North-East and North-West as the regions worst hit by the crisis.
It noted that persistent school attacks, mass abductions and community displacement continue to undermine efforts by government and development partners to improve access to quality education.
According to SCI, the ongoing insecurity poses a serious threat to Nigeria’s future, warning that without safe learning environments and adequate funding for education, the potential of young people—who make up over 60 per cent of the population—will remain severely limited.
The organisation called for the full implementation of the Safe Schools Declaration and stronger security measures to protect children in and around schools.
It stressed that young people should be seen not only as leaders of tomorrow but as critical drivers of change in the present.
Save the Children reaffirmed its commitment to supporting youth-led advocacy, strengthening the Safe Schools Initiative, delivering emergency education responses, and expanding skills development opportunities for adolescents affected by conflict and displacement.
