Borno State Reports 1,400 Schools Destroyed Amid Insurgency

The Borno State Government reported that over 1,400 schools have been destroyed and 2,295 teachers killed due to ongoing insurgency in the North-East region. Deputy Governor Umar Usman Kadafur, representing Governor Babagana Umara Zulum, shared these statistics at the National Dialogue on the Psychosocial Impact of Conflict on Children in Nigeria, held in Maiduguri.

He emphasized that approximately three million children are in urgent need of emergency education support. Kadafur articulated the profound psychological effects of conflict on children, noting that trauma persists even after violence subsides, affecting their cognition and relationships.

He warned that untreated trauma could lead to a cycle of bitterness and vulnerability to recruitment by violent groups. The deputy governor proposed a national mental health framework for affected children, the training of child mental health professionals, and the integration of psychosocial support into counter-terrorism efforts, stressing that military intervention alone is insufficient to address the consequences of insurgency.