In a sweeping emergency measure, the Federal Government has ordered the immediate closure of 41 Federal Unity Colleges following heightened security concerns across several regions of the country. The directive, issued through a circular dated November 21, 2025 marks one of the largest coordinated shutdowns of federal schools in recent years.
Approved by the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, the decision is aimed at preventing potential breaches in areas where insecurity has surged. The circular, signed by the Director of Senior Secondary Education, Hajia Abdulkadir, instructed principals to enforce the shutdown “without delay,” reflecting the urgency of the situation.
The affected schools span the North-West, North-East, North-Central, as well as parts of the South, cutting across states that have recently witnessed increased attacks, kidnappings, and attempts on learning institutions.
The closures follow a troubling wave of renewed assaults targeting schools, echoes of Nigeria’s traumatic history with abductions in learning environments, beginning with the 2014 kidnapping of the Chibok girls. In the past week alone, there have been two major incidents.
In Niger State, armed men stormed St. Mary’s Primary and Secondary School in Papiri, carting away an unknown number of students, Just days earlier, another group abducted 25 schoolgirls during a raid in Maga, Kebbi State. The repeated attacks have reignited fears across northern communities, prompting parents to withdraw children from vulnerable schools and sparking fresh demands for accountability.
Anxiety escalated further after rumours spread about an abduction in Nasarawa State, but the Nasarawa State Police Command described the alleged kidnapping of two pupils from St. Peter’s Academy in Rukubi as “false and not reflective of the true situation.”
The uptick in school attacks has placed the government under intense pressure to respond decisively. President Bola Tinubu, who was scheduled to travel to Johannesburg and Angola, postponed his engagements and directed the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, to relocate to Kebbi State to oversee rescue operations.
The administration’s decision to shut down 41 Unity Colleges is now being viewed as a preemptive move, one meant to safeguard students and staff before any further breaches occur.
Security analysts warn that with banditry and insurgency evolving in tactics and geography, learning institutions remain soft targets, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and other global bodies have repeatedly condemned the targeting of schools, urging Nigeria to prioritise layered security for education spaces.
The suspended schools include major Federal Government Colleges (FGCs), Federal Government Girls Colleges (FGGCs), and Federal Technical Colleges (FTCs) in states such as Kano, Kaduna, Zamfara, Kebbi, Jigawa, Nasarawa, Niger, Kogi, Yobe, Gombe, Adamawa, and parts of the FCT.
The mass closure underscores the fragile state of security in several northern zones and reflects growing concern over the safety of Nigeria’s educational system. As rescue operations intensify and the government works to restore confidence, many parents and students are once again confronting a harsh reality: in parts of Nigeria, accessing education remains a dangerous pursuit.
