Nigeria is regarded to be the giant of Africa and plays the role of a big brother in the affairs of the continent. Despite its status and Afrocentric policies, the nation is still plagued by issues including poverty, gender discrimination, electoral violence and terrorism (Awortu, 2015; Agbiboa, 2013). These issues affect the lives of citizens especially children who are in many regards vulnerable and dependent on others. This study interrogates the impact of insurgency on children’s education and rights. The impact of armed conflict extends to the entire population, with children being a particularly vulnerable group that is significantly affected (Isokpan & Durojaye, 2016). Children are often subjected to the adverse consequences of wars that they did not initiate, resulting in the forfeiture of their childhood experiences. They are compelled to mature in environments where families and communities are disrupted by armed conflicts, and in some cases, they are coerced to participate in the hostilities as child soldiers. Frequently, children are detached from their families and acquaintances and are compelled to confront the severe consequences of hostilities as refugees or internally displaced individuals.
Consequently, they experience malnourishment and illness due to the strategies employed by the belligerents to impede the provision of sustenance. It is pertinent to note that children in Nigeria have been subjected to the effects of the ongoing insurgency that is currently devastating the northeastern region of the country. It is worth noting that some children have been subjected to fatality, abduction, coerced enlistment, and internal displacement, while a subset has endeavoured to seek asylum in adjacent nations. In 2014, the armed conflict that occurred in the northeastern region of Nigeria was among the most lethal conflicts globally, particularly for children. The field of education experienced significant impacts due to the deliberate acts of violence directed towards students, educators, educational institutions, and related facilities (Isokpan & Durojaye, 2016). Education encompasses all the various processes by which a child acquires and develops abilities, attitudes, and other forms of behaviour that are deemed beneficial to society. The acquisition of knowledge, values, and skills through education facilitates personal development and plays a significant role in the advancement of society.
The rights of children to education, as stipulated by the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACRWC), and other relevant global agreements, remains intact even in times of armed conflict. This is because states are duty-bound to uphold, safeguard, and satisfy this right, regardless of the presence of a crisis. Section 15 of the Child’s Right Act, 2003 (CRA 2003) in Nigeria serves as the primary legal safeguard for the protection of children’s rights. This provision guarantees the child’s entitlement to free, compulsory, and universally accessible basic education, which is the responsibility of the government to provide. The UBE Act of 2004 is a legislative measure that aims to tackle concerns related to the accessibility, fairness, impartiality, comprehensiveness, affordability, and excellence of fundamental education. The act of targeting educational institutions during times of armed conflict is considered a serious transgression against the fundamental rights of children. These types of attacks are directed towards individuals within the educational community, including students, teachers, and other personnel.
The aforementioned acts encompass the taking of lives, the act of seizing or carrying off by force, the act of taking away a person against their will, the unlawful confinement of individuals, the act of inflicting severe pain or suffering on someone as a form of punishment or to force them to do or say something, the act of subjecting someone to sexual activity without their consent, and the act of compelling individuals to join a group or organisation without their voluntary consent. These actions culminated in the use of force to prevent children from accessing education, thereby violating their fundamental right to education. These types of attacks encompass the destruction of educational infrastructure, including buildings and facilities, as well as the utilisation of school buildings for military purposes. Additionally, violent assaults on educational activities, such as the targeting of convoys transporting examination papers, are also prevalent. Furthermore, hindering the restoration, refurbishment, or reconstruction of previously attacked schools is also a common occurrence (Isokpan & Durojaye, 2016).
It is important to acknowledge that armed conflict can have various impacts on education (Agbiboa, 2013). The factors that contribute to the disruption of education in conflict-affected areas are numerous. These factors include the closure of schools because of targeted attacks, the military’s use of school buildings and the resulting collateral damage, harm to both teachers and students, the apprehension of sending children to school, and the fear of teachers attending school due to the threat of targeted attacks. Additionally, general insecurity can limit freedom of movement, while forced recruitment of teachers and students by both state and non-state armed forces can further exacerbate the situation. Forced population displacement can also interrupt education, while the public health impacts of conflict can reduce access to education and hinder learning (Muhammad & Ahmed Mohammed, 2019). The interruptions result in impeding the ability to attain education and reducing the calibre of the educational encounter. In instances where educational options are available, parents who harbour concerns regarding the security and well-being of their offspring may exhibit hesitancy in facilitating their attendance at school (Abdulrasheed, Onuselogu, & Obioma, 2015).
The adverse impact of armed conflict on the mental health and psychological well-being of children is attributed to their exposure to traumatic experiences, including but not limited to bereavement, displacement, food insecurity, and disrupted education. Oladunjoye and Omemu noted that the attendance of a child in school is reliant on several factors such as the preparedness of the child, parental support, availability of educational resources, proximity to the school, and notably, the safety of the child. The current state of insecurity in the North Eastern region of Nigeria has had a distressing impact on children, who are compelled to evacuate their homes out of apprehension, bear witness to acts of violence, or endure the hardships of being displaced individuals or refugees. According to UNICEF’s findings, the persistent assaults on educational institutions, students, and educators have resulted in the displacement of more than one million children from schools. Additionally, teachers have been compelled to refrain from attending school due to the same reasons. Certain educational institutions have been compelled to cease operations, resulting in the repurposing of vacated school edifices as havens for individuals who have been displaced within their own country (Bilyaminu & Purokayo, 2017). The student population of schools has been significantly impacted as a result of the ongoing conflict in the northeastern region, with a considerable number of children seeking refuge in neighbouring countries or being internally displaced. The total number of children affected by this situation has exceeded 1.4 million.
Recommendation
The safeguarding of children impacted by armed conflict is a fundamental obligation of nation-states. However, the Nigerian government’s reaction to the humanitarian requirements of children affected by the ongoing insurgency has been suboptimal. Following this, this study recommends the following. It is imperative that the Nigerian government adopts proactive measures to curtail the insurgency and restore peace to the region. The utilisation of military forces to combat the insurgency is praiseworthy; however, it is imperative for the government to adopt a more all-encompassing approach that tackles the underlying economic and social factors contributing to the crisis. It is imperative to implement measures that target the high incidence of poverty, unemployment, and inadequate education among young individuals residing in the northern region, as this demographic has the potential to be used as a tool by insurgent groups. It is imperative that counter-insurgency operations prioritise the rule of law and adhere to established international human rights standards, as the advancement of security must not come at the cost of violating basic human rights. It is imperative for the military to prioritise conducting operations with a heightened level of professionalism to mitigate the occurrence of collateral casualties and damage to livelihoods.
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