Oluwafunbi Bello 
Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, at the inauguration of the training held in the state Government House, Gusau, Zamfara State.
Zamfara, Nigeria – Zamfara State is keeping its schools open despite a surge in student abductions across northern Nigeria, insisting that tightened security measures will protect learners as academic activities continue.
The Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Wadatau Madawaki, says the state refuses to “surrender classrooms to fear,” even as neighbouring states shut their schools following a series of high-profile mass kidnappings.
“We have implemented the necessary measures, although we cannot reveal the strategies publicly,” Madawaki tells journalists in Gusau. “Protecting our students remains our absolute priority.”
His remarks follow the abduction of 25 students in Kebbi State and more than 300 children and staff in Niger State, attacks that have triggered widespread school closures across the region.
Madawaki argues that Zamfara’s predominantly day-school system reduces exposure to overnight raids, unlike states with large boarding populations. “Most attacks happen at night. We have not reopened boarding facilities, so our schools operate during daylight hours,” he explains.
He confirms that schools in high-risk communities have been temporarily shut, while those in safer districts remain open as the term nears completion.
The commissioner says the state continues to work closely with security agencies to maintain uninterrupted teaching. He adds that tertiary institutions, which run residential systems, will postpone their December resumption until January to allow a full assessment of security conditions.
“Our academic calendar will proceed smoothly. We will not compromise safety, but we will also not suspend learning unnecessarily,” he says.
About the Author
Oluwafunbi Bello 
Oluwatobi Adu 
Koko Maxwella 
Hussaini Ibrahim