11th March, 2021
By Muhaimin Olowoporoku
The Niger Ministry of Education has directed closure of all public secondary schools for two weeks to enable the state government asses security threats and and its impact on schools.
The schools would be closed between Friday, March 12 and Friday, March 27, according to the state Commissioner of Education, Hajiya Hannatu Salihu.
The commissioner noted that the closure will give relevant security agencies the time and opportunity to conduct a comprehensive risk assessment of all public secondary schools in the state.
The decision to close schools in the state came after an emergency consultative meeting with the leadership of the Association of the Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS), Association of Model Islamic Schools (AMIS), Executive Chairman, Niger State Universal Basic Education Board (NSUBEB), Heads of Education Agencies, Directors of the Ministry and other stakeholders of the sector.
The closure of schools came in the light of recent abduction of students at the Government Science College, in Kagara community of the state few weeks ago.
The Commissioner of Education, however, said the risk assessment exercise would provide an all-inclusive mechanism and strategies that will restore and guarantee sustainable security and safety of students, school infrastructure, education managers, and teachers after its completion.