School-Hedging and Out-of-School: Explaining the Role of Insecurity, and Terrorism in the Contemporary Nigeria

This paper critically investigated the impact of insecurity on school attendance. It also examined the socio-economic consequences of insecurity and terrorism on children’s access to education following the SDG goal of education for all by 2063. The study adopted secondary sources of data collection from relevant and related documents, including the United Nations and its sub-agencies such as UNESCO and UNICEF and other extant literature. Data was thematically analysed. The findings showed that insecurity has a lasting impact on learners’ behaviour, emotions, mental health, academic performance, and stability at school.  Maintaining that the culmination of these factors leads to school hedging by school-age children. Also, the study revealed that insecurity and kidnapping incidents can exacerbate and sustain the dynasty of poverty since education is one of the ways of breaking the chains of poverty, stating the need for targeted policy interventions to increase school enrolment and reduce the number of out-of-school children. It also confirmed that insecurity leads to a significant loss of human capital development and reduces a nation’s ability to build a skilled and competitive workforce.  Mitigating insecurity, closing the gap of gender equality, granting scholarships, therapy sessions and infrastructure development among others were identified as factors that would improve school enrolment and attendance. The study recommends the importance of holistic efforts: the society, government, international organizations, civil society organizations and all stakeholders of peace and security to work in tandem towards the realization of peace and security and a safe and conducive learning environment for every child