The Kebbi State Government has announced the resumption of academic activities in public and private schools located in urban centres across the state, effective Monday.
The decision was disclosed on Sunday by the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Halima Muhammad-Bande, during a press briefing in Birnin Kebbi.
She explained that the reopening applies only to schools within towns and cities, noting that institutions in remote communities and on the outskirts of urban areas will remain closed until further notice due to security concerns.
“All public and private schools in urban centres are to resume academic activities on Monday. However, schools in remote areas and outskirts of towns are exempted from this directive for now,” Muhammad-Bande said.
The commissioner assured parents, guardians and school administrators that the state government has strengthened security arrangements around schools slated to reopen.
“The government is doing everything humanly possible to secure all schools that are reopening. We appeal to parents and guardians to allow their children to return to school,” she added.
She recalled that the state government had earlier ordered the closure of schools following a rise in security threats in parts of Kebbi State.
According to her, the temporary shutdown affected all public and private secondary schools as well as state-owned tertiary institutions, with the exception of the College of Nursing Sciences in Birnin Kebbi.
Muhammad-Bande noted that the earlier decision, taken jointly with the Commissioner for Higher Education, Issa Abubakar-Tunga, was aimed at protecting students and staff amid reported attacks in some areas of the state.
She said the government will continue to review the security situation and announce a timeline for the resumption of schools in rural and high-risk areas once conditions improve.
