A new United Nations report says Nigeria ranks fourth globally for grave violations against school children in armed conflict. The 2024 report on children and armed conflict, released this year, recorded 2,436 cases in Nigeria, following Israel, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Somalia.
The UN said grave violations include abductions, recruitment, sexual violence, attacks on schools and hospitals, and denial of humanitarian access. It noted a 44 per cent global surge in attacks on schools between 2022 and 2023, with over 10,000 students and teachers killed, abducted or harmed.
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The report said both non-state armed groups and government forces were responsible, with the latter identified as the main perpetrators of killings, attacks on schools and hospitals, and blocking aid. More than 3,000 children were also detained for alleged links to armed groups.
Nigeria, which endorsed the Safe Schools Declaration in 2018 and established a response coordination centre, has struggled with compliance and implementation, with low enrollment in its safe schools initiative reported in 2025.
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