The Niger State Government has announced plans to reopen public and private primary and secondary schools across the state, weeks after a wave of insecurity, including the mass abduction of pupils from a Catholic school, forced authorities to shut down educational institutions.
The decision followed what the government described as a detailed security assessment and consultations with security agencies, according to a statement issued on Friday by the governor’s spokesperson, Bologi Ibrahim.
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“The decision to reopen schools followed a careful security assessment and extensive consultations with relevant security agencies, in line with the state government’s commitment to safeguarding lives while ensuring uninterrupted access to quality education for all children in Niger State,” Mr Ibrahim said.
Under the new directive, all public and private day and boarding schools located in areas assessed as safe and secure will resume academic activities on Monday, 12 January, while schools in areas considered unsafe will remain closed pending further security clearance.
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“All public and private day as well as boarding schools located in unsafe areas shall, in the interim, remain closed until such areas are duly assessed and cleared by relevant security authorities,” the statement said.
The government also directed school authorities to register all returning students on resumption and submit the data to the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education within one week for documentation and monitoring purposes.
In addition, local government chairpersons have been instructed to support the reopening process by working with security agencies to ensure adequate security presence in and around school premises.
The Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education is expected to publish an official list of schools approved for reopening on January 12.
Why schools were shut
Niger State ordered the closure of all public and private schools in late November 2025 following the abduction of pupils and staff from St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools in Papiri, Agwara Local Government Area.
Gunmen attacked the boarding school in the early hours of 21 November, abducting pupils and teachers and sparking nationwide outrage. Initial reports suggested more than 300 persons were missing, although later reconciliation exercises by the Catholic Diocese of Kontagora confirmed that 230 pupils and staff were actually abducted.
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The closure was announced after an emergency security meeting chaired by Governor Umaru Bago, who said the move was necessary to protect students amid rising attacks on communities and schools in parts of the state, particularly in Agwara and Shiroro local government areas.
At the height of the crisis, the state government extended the shutdown to include missionary schools, Islamic schools, and federal government colleges, citing concerns over the safety of children.
