About 29 per cent of teachers in conflict-affected communities in Borno State are experiencing high levels of stress and are at risk of leaving the profession, a new report by the Centre for the Study of the Economies of Africa has revealed.

The report, released on Tuesday in Abuja, attributed the growing pressure on teachers to prolonged insecurity, displacement and repeated disruptions to education in the North-East.

According to the report, “29% of teachers reported high levels of stress and a risk of leaving the profession,” warning that the trend could worsen the region’s already fragile education system.

The findings were based on research conducted across Maiduguri Metropolitan Council, Jere and Konduga Local Government Areas, where researchers surveyed 100 households, carried out 17 school observations, organised 80 focus group discussions and conducted 57 key informant interviews.

The report found that nearly half of schools in the affected communities had been forced to shut down at some point because of conflict or insecurity.

It stated that 48 per cent of schools had experienced temporary closures, while some local government areas recorded an average 37 per cent decline in enrolment since 2020.

It further revealed that 65 per cent of households had at least one child out of school, while the dropout rate across all levels was 23 per cent higher among girls than boys.

The report also showed that 62 per cent of schools lacked disaster preparedness or contingency plans, leaving them vulnerable to conflict and climate-related emergencies.

While highlighting the need to strengthen teachers’ capacity, the report noted that 52.9 per cent of teachers had received adequate training in the past 12 months, compared to 47.1 per cent who reported inadequate training.

It stressed that teacher development was critical to education recovery in fragile and conflict-affected areas.

“When schools experience disruption, whether from flooding or insecurity, teachers need updated skills in remedial education, psychosocial support, and adaptive instruction. Without regular training, even when schools reopen, the quality of recovery is weakened,” the report stated.

The report Identified insurgency, communal clashes, farmer-herder conflicts, climate-related disasters and mass displacement as key drivers of the education crisis in Borno and other parts of the North-East.

It also highlighted severe teacher shortages, uneven deployment of personnel, damaged infrastructure and gender disparities as major barriers to school enrolment and retention.

To address the challenges, the report recommended improved teacher recruitment and deployment in high-risk areas, continuous psychosocial training for teachers, expansion of accelerated education programmes and remote learning initiatives, as well as stronger coordination between government institutions and non-governmental organisations.

It also called for increased investment in Education in Emergencies frameworks to improve resilience and ensure uninterrupted learning for children affected by conflict and disasters.

Speaking on the findings, the Director of Research at CSEA, Adedeji Adeniran, said education remained a fundamental human right central to individual growth and broader societal progress.

“Education is a fundamental human right essential for individual growth and well-being and for advancing social justice and poverty reduction,” Adeniran said.

He warned that failing to guarantee access to education carries steep long-term costs, both for individuals and for national economies.

“Failing to guarantee this right carries steep costs: people who lack education typically earn less than those with more schooling, and societies with higher average education attain stronger economic growth,” he said.

Adeniran called on governments across West Africa to explore alternative funding mechanisms to protect education budgets from disruption.

The report comes amid persistent concerns over the impact of insurgency, displacement and climate-related disasters on education in Nigeria’s North-East.

Borno State remains the epicentre of the country’s out-of-school children crisis, with prolonged insecurity continuing to disrupt teaching and learning. (The PUNCH)

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