By Wole Mosadomi

Ahead of the resumption of schools, Niger State government has announced plans to reopen 11 out of the 42 public schools shut across the state as a result of insecurity.

Recall that state government had shut the 42 schools in 2021 at the peak of frequent invasion of some boarding schools across the state but later reopened some and shut the 11 which were more prone to insecurity.

Mostly affected were female students across the state especially the kidnap of 99 girls from Salihu Tanko Islamiyya School, Tegina in Rafi Local Government Area, LGA.

Despite all steps taken to secure their release by the state government, local government and the communities involved the students mostly female and children spent almost 90 days in the kidnappers’ den.

Some of the schools to be reopened are located in Wushishi, Lavun and Gurara local government areas of the state.

The Commissioner for the state Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, Hadiza  Mohammed who held an emergency meeting with major stakeholders in the education sector in Minna yesterday, said the decision to reopen the schools was as a result of improved security in the affected communities.

Those in attendance at the meeting included Officials of the Nigeria Union of Teachers NUT, those of the Parents Teachers Association, (PTA) Heads of Schools as well as officials of the ANCOPSS.

The Commissioner said  “The Ministry has concluded Plans to establish an online data capturing of all teachers as part of the preparation for the reopening of the schools.  Indexing of students will now be initiated right from the Early Child Education (ECCDE) class to Senior Secondary class (SSS) and Early Child Care Department Education has been made compulsory as no child will be admitted into primary class without undergoing ECCDE.