By 
By Mary K. Joseph
Nigeria cannot afford to lose more children to the growing violence in the North-East and North-West regions. Because the cost is not only death but also displacement, fear, hunger and lost opportunities. Every child forced from home or school carries a burden that can last a lifetime. This is especially serious for these regions as they depend heavily on agriculture. Education is also critical to building the skills needed for the future.
Children are among the worst affected by insurgency, Boko Haram attacks and banditry in Northern Nigeria. According to the United Nations (UN) 2024 data on Nigeria: High level of insecurity in the North-East Region dramatically affecting children show the scale of the crisis despite concrete measures adopted by the government.
In fact the UN report verified this crisis. For instance, 2,519 grave violations against 1,250 children were recorded in Nigeria between 2022 and 2023.These included 1,105 abductions, 821 cases of recruitment and use of children, and 439 cases of sexual violence These are not just numbers but what is at stake. Knowing that behind each number is a child whose future has been put at risk.
At the heart of the crisis
The North-East remains the main centre of the Boko Haram crisis. Borno, Yobe and Adamawa have carried a heavy burden for more than a decade with a huge devastating impact. But the crisis is no longer limited to these three states.
Banditry and mass abductions are also threatening children and schools in Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna and Sokoto. The problem is spreading; in fact, North Central and Southwest are beginning to experience similar problems. So our collective response must be provided in every respect.
The impact on education is particularly worrying because it’s growing at alarming rate. Boko Haram has attacked schools and disrupted learning. Research on the Multisectoral intervention on food security in complex emergencies: A discourse on regional resilience praxis in North east Nigeria conducted in 2022 found that the impact of Boko Haram shows that the violence has reduced school enrolment and prevented many children from completing their education.
When children are out of school for years, the damage goes beyond childhood. It affects the future workforce. Boko Haram activities have also become a huge menace to agricultural production. A region cannot build a productive agricultural economy when its children are denied the education and skills needed to transform that economy.
The hidden casualties are education, nutrition and food security
The damage does not end when an attack is over because it keeps coming back. Conflict follows children into their homes, schools and communities. It affects what they eat, where they live and whether they can return to school. While damage on education can be very debilitating, malnutrition continues to affect mental development of children.
A study on Child nutrition during conflict and displacement: Evidence from areas affected by the Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria conducted in 2020 found a strong link between Boko Haram-related displacement and child malnutrition. The same study also found that children affected by forced displacement faced a 50 percent higher risk of malnutrition.
“Conflict reduces household income and limits access to food”
Also, a study on the impact of the Boko Haram insurgency in North-east Nigeria on childhood wasting: a double-difference study conducted in 2018 found that the Boko Haram conflict was associated with childhood wasting in the North-East, and thus putting food security under pressure. Conflict reduces household income and limits access to food.
It also reduces the diversity and quality of diets available to vulnerable families. This creates a dangerous cycle, where displacement is now central problem fuelled by displacement which reduces livelihoods.
It is important to underscore the cycle created by Boko Haram, namely; lost livelihoods reduce access to food; poor nutrition affects children’s health and learning; poor education then reduces their future opportunities. Breaking this cycle must become a national priority.
Why we must not allow terrorism to destroy the agricultural foundation of children’s future
Boko Haram and banditry are not only security problems but also agricultural and economic problems. Farmers cannot safely cultivate their land when communities are under attack. Some abandon their farms while others cannot reach markets or obtain farm inputs.
According to a study on Effect of conflict on agriculture: Evidence from the Boko Haram insurgency conducted in 2019 forced displacement on nutritional status shows that Boko Haram violence has reduced agricultural production in affected areas. Production of important crops such as cassava, soybean, sorghum, rice and yam has been affected. We must bear in mind that the consequences are serious.
‘Boko Haram has disrupted markets and created weaker local economies’
The agricultural foundation is weak due to ongoing Boko Haram activities, and it is currently facing these realities such as lower production means lower farm income; disrupted markets mean higher costs and weaker local economies; and damaged rural infrastructure makes recovery even harder.
This is why security and agriculture cannot be treated as separate issues. If we want to rebuild agriculture in Northern Nigeria, we must first create conditions in which farmers and their families can live, work and educate their children safely.
A child-centred recovery strategy is urgently needed
The crisis facing children in Northern Nigeria requires urgent and sustained action, and must be led by national government. Much of the current response is focused on humanitarian relief. That support is essential. But emergency assistance alone cannot rebuild a child’s future.
I have seen this difference through my own family experience. A cousin who escaped Boko Haram captivity received humanitarian support and training. That assistance helped provide her a pathway toward recovery. Unfortunately, many other victims do not receive the same opportunity. They remain displaced, traumatised and without access to education or sustainable livelihoods.
‘Nigeria must move from managing emergencies to rebuilding lives’
Nigeria must therefore move from managing emergencies to rebuilding lives. The government should develop a Northern Nigeria Child Recovery and Resilience Strategy. It should bring together security, education, nutrition, agriculture, healthcare and livelihood support. Children who have been displaced need a pathway back to school. Part of government efforts should focus on families returning to their communities need support to rebuild their farms and livelihoods.
This effort should also target children who have suffered trauma and need psychosocial care. Specifically, young people need skills and opportunities so that they are not left vulnerable to exploitation and recruitment. This is not only a humanitarian responsibility but also an investment in Nigeria’s future.
The war against terrorism and banditry must be understood as a war for human capital. The true measure of success will not only be the number of terrorists defeated or communities secured. It will also be the number of children who return to school, regain their health, rebuild their confidence and recover the chance to dream about their future.
Nigeria cannot build food security, transform agriculture or achieve long-term economic stability while a generation of its children is growing up in fear, hunger and displacement. Protecting these children is therefore not simply about saving lives today. We must see it as saving Nigeria’s future.
Mary K. Joseph is an intern at the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR), Abuja.
