Over 1,400 Schools Destroyed in North-East Nigeria

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

He highlighted that approximately three million children are in urgent need of emergency education support. Kadafur warned that untreated trauma from conflict could lead to bitterness and vulnerability to recruitment by violent groups.

He called for a national mental health framework for conflict-affected children and greater investment in education and community interventions. Professor Andrew Zamani noted that the psychological consequences of conflict are a national emergency.

Dr. Patience Omokri, representing the National Security Adviser, stated that child trauma should be treated as a national security concern. UNICEF's Francis Otuochi reported that 270,864 children in Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe require mental health support.