The Minister of State for Education, Suwaiba Ahmad, has called on the governments of Bauchi, Katsina, Kebbi, and Kano states to reconsider their decisions to close state-owned schools during Ramadan.
Speaking to newsmen on the Political Paradigm show, Ahmad expressed concerns that valuable time would be lost if the schools remained closed for the duration of the fasting period.
She added that the Federal Ministry of Education has begun discussions with the four state governments to advocate for the reopening of schools, though she acknowledged that the Federal Government has no authority over state-run schools.
The decision to close schools in these predominantly Muslim northern states for Ramadan has sparked public outcry. The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has criticized the closures, arguing that shutting schools for five weeks in regions already grappling with high levels of poverty and illiteracy is counterproductive, discriminatory, and infringes on the rights of non-Muslim students residing in those states.
CAN further contended that the school closures would exacerbate Nigeria’s educational crisis. According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Nigeria had approximately 18.3 million out-of-school children as of 2024.
