UNICEF calls for community action to improve school conditions

The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) has urged communities in Nigeria to actively push their governments to repair dilapidated school structures and construct new ones for primary and secondary education. 

This call to action was made by Cristian Munduate, UNICEF’s representative for Nigeria.

Munduate emphasised the significant impact community pressure can have in advocating for improved educational facilities. 

“When communities actively voiced their concerns and demands for better educational facilities and opportunities, policymakers and authorities were more likely to take action,” she said. 

Highlighting the dire state of many Nigerian schools, she pointed out that numerous students are forced to study under trees due to inadequate infrastructure.

The crumbling condition of school buildings across Nigeria has left many learners without proper classrooms, severely impacting their education. 

“Community pressure can drive demand for education,” Ms. Munduate continued. “Strengthening citizenship is vital. People must advocate for essentials like education, health, and water, not just for other amenities.”

Adding to this, Mike Ike-Ene, Secretary-General of the Nigeria Union of Teachers, described the adverse effects of poor school infrastructure on students. He noted that the dilapidated state of many schools could foster a hostile learning environment.

“If you visit old primary schools or those in remote areas, you will find children sitting under trees, with leaking roofs and cracked walls,”  Ike-Ene explained. “They are cautious, praying the structures don’t collapse on them. And yet, we claim to have a government?”

Ike-Ene argued that the harsh conditions not only pose physical risks but also affect the psychological well-being of the children. “When children study in such harsh conditions, it hardens them. It doesn’t make them environmentally conscious; rather, they see themselves as coming from hostile environments.”

 

Both UNICEF and the Nigeria Union of Teachers stressed the urgent need for the government to prioritize the renovation and construction of school buildings. 

“The government must ensure our schools are well-built, and those who educate our children should be well taken care of,”  Ike-Ene concluded. “There’s much that needs to be done by the government.”