The Minister of State for Education, Suwaiba Ahmad, has called on the state governments of Bauchi, Katsina, Kebbi, and Kano to reassess their decisions to close state-owned schools for the duration of Ramadan.
Appearing as a guest on Channels Television’s *Political Paradigm* show, Ahmad expressed concerns that prolonged school closures during Ramadan would lead to significant loss of educational time for students.
Ahmad confirmed that the Federal Ministry of Education has already initiated discussions with the four states in an effort to convince them to reopen the schools, although she acknowledged that the Federal Government does not have direct authority over state-run educational institutions.
The decision to shut down schools during the Ramadan period has sparked widespread controversy, particularly in the northern states, which have a large Muslim population. Critics, including the Christian Association of Nigeria ,CAN, have voiced strong opposition to the closures, describing them as detrimental to both educational progress and interfaith relations.
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CAN has argued that the closure of schools for up to five weeks in a region already grappling with high poverty and illiteracy rates is counterproductive.
The association further contended that the move discriminates against non-Muslim students and infringes on their rights, potentially exacerbating the country’s educational challenges.
The Christian body’s concerns are underscored by alarming statistics from the United Nations Children’s Fund , which reported that as of 2024, Nigeria had approximately 18.3 million children out of school. CAN and other critics fear that prolonged school closures during Ramadan will only worsen the nation’s already dire education crisis.
Reported by Channels
