International Alliance Group Call on Government to Ensure Schools are Safe for Students

By: Michael Mike

Moving Minds Alliance (MMA) has called on the federal government to tackle insecurity in schools headlong and ensure that schools are safe for Nigerian students.

Speaking on the background of Monday’s abduction of at least 25 children and a teacher at a boarding school in north-western Nigeria’s Kebbi state, the Interim Director of the Moving Minds Alliance (MMA), Katie Murphy on Wednesday in Abuja at the First National Consultative Meeting on Early Childhood Development (ECD) in Crisis, a two-day dialogue aimed at strengthening support systems for young children affected by conflict, displacement, and other emergencies, said the abduction was a sad narrative that should not be allowed to happen again.

The Moving Minds Alliance (MMA) is a funders collaborative and network focused on scaling up support for young children and families affected by crisis and displacement. They aim to improve coverage, quality, and financing of early childhood development services in emergency contexts.

Speaking at the event, Katie Murphy, stressed the urgency of securing innovative and sustainable domestic financing to safeguard the holistic development of Nigeria’s youngest children.

Murphy noted that while Nigeria receives substantial global support for ECD in crisis settings, most of the funding is channelled into health and nutrition, leaving critical areas such as early learning, responsive caregiving, and psychosocial support largely underfunded.

“This gap presents both a warning and an opportunity,” she said. “If we fail to invest now, the long-term wellbeing of children living through conflict and displacement will be at risk. But with coordinated action, Nigeria can champion a strong national commitment that inspires global momentum.”

She added that the meeting aims to review ongoing interventions, identify policy and financing solutions, and build a unified advocacy roadmap “led by Nigeria, for Nigeria’s children.”

She noted this at the national consultative meeting on children in crisis and development in Nigeria, a 2-day dialogue with Government and Early Childhood Development (ECD) stakeholders and also launch of it strategy and unveiling, “Reimagining early years crisis response strategy 2025-2030” in Abuja.

She said Nigeria can play a vital role in shaping a bold national commitment that inspires global action and includes a specific focus on children affected by crisis and displacement.

“Over the next two days, we are here to reflect on existing efforts to strengthen ECD for children affected by crisis and displacement, identify the policy and financing pathways that can accelerate progress, and begin to work together to shape a coordinated advocacy agenda led by Nigeria, for Nigeria’s children,” she said.

Also, the Early Childhood Care Development and Education (ECCDE) desk officer at the Ministry of Education, Confidence Okonkwo represented by the Director Basic Education, FME, Dr Folake Olatunji-David assured that the Federal Government of Nigeria is committed in ensuring that every Nigerian child is given adequate care in terms of nutrition, in terms of health, in terms of education.

” Nigerian Government has extended collaboration to private sector development for support because government do not have all the resources to cater for challenging issues in the education sector in the country, ” she said.

Representing the Federal Ministry of Education, Director of Basic Education, Dr. Folake Olatunji-David,, reaffirmed government commitment to ensuring that every child receives adequate nutrition, healthcare, and learning opportunities. She explained that the government is deepening partnerships with the private sector, acknowledging that public resources alone are insufficient to tackle the growing challenges in the education system.

Current national data paints a stark picture, showing that 3.6 million people in Nigeria are displaced as of October 2025, including over 3.57 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) and 142,557 refugees and asylum-seekers, with more than half of the displaced population are children.

It also showed that 1.8 million children face the threat of severe acute malnutrition, and over 18 million Nigerian children are currently out of school—many due to insecurity and displacement.

Children in these environments often miss out on nurturing care, early learning, mental health support, and other foundations essential for lifelong wellbeing. Without strategic action, experts warn that Nigeria risks falling short of national development targets and the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.

Although Nigeria ranked among the top global recipients of ECD funding in crisis contexts in 2023—$27 million in humanitarian aid and $270 million in development assistance—funding patterns remain uneven. With the OECD forecasting a 30% drop in global aid, Nigeria could lose up to $89 million in ECD-related support by 2027, heightening the importance of domestic investment.

At the consultative meeting organised by the Moving Minds Alliance, the Federal and state ministries, including Education and Women Affairs; UN agencies such as UNHCR; Philanthropic organisations; International and local NGOs; Refugee- and community-led groups from Borno, Cross River, and Benue and media, researchers, and advocates These states were selected for their large populations of refugees and IDPs.

The event also marked the official launch of MMA’s 2025–2030 strategy: Reimagining Early Years Crisis Response.

According to the organisers, after the meeting, a national ECD coalition will be activated to coordinate efforts through 2029, leading up to global advocacy milestones such as the ECD Financing Summit in 2027.

International Alliance Group Call on Government to Ensure Schools are Safe for Students