Education under Armed Attack in North East of Nigeria: Evaluating the Impact of Boko Haram Attacks on Tertiary Institutions in Adamawa State

Abstract

Since the emergence of Boko Haram (BH) insurgency in the Northeast of Nigeria, education has come under severe attacks from the sect, owing to its ideology, which perceives Western education as un-Islamic. These attacks have had debilitating impact on the educational system in the war-torn zone. Extant studies on BH insurgency are yet to examine the short and long term impacts of the sect’s attacks on tertiary institutions in the frontline states of the insurgency, particularly how these affect human and material resources as well as academic activities in the region. To address this gap in literature, this study evaluated the impact of BH attack on three tertiary institutions in Adamawa State. Qualitative data was collected from teaching and non-teaching staff, principal officers and students of the affected institutions, including parents and guardians. Results showed that BH attack resulted in the loss of lives of students and staff, destruction and looting of valuable items and educational infrastructures, reduction in enrolment into the institutions, and encouraging academic staff attrition. Thus, it was recommended that federal and state governments and the private sector should provide adequate funding to revatilise the affected educational institutions. Educational institutions in Nigeria should be prioritized as critical infrastructures deserving adequate security protection.