Abuja — Former education minister Oby Ezekwesili has strongly criticized President Bola Tinubu’s administration for failing to secure schools and safeguard Nigerian children amid a wave of abductions and attacks. The former minister accused the government of neglecting its most fundamental duty protecting students calling recent incidents “a catastrophic security failure.”
Ezekwesili’s comments come in the wake of escalating insecurity in the country: in November 2025, gunmen abducted more than 300 pupils and teachers from St. Mary’s School in Papiri, Niger State.
She argued that the Safe Schools Initiative, a flagship protection programme, has not translated into tangible security on the ground.
Ezekwesili also warned that continued inaction could lead to what she described as a “lost generation,” with Nigerian children growing up in fear rather than safety.
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