INTERNAL SECURITY CHALLENGES IN NIGERIA AND THE CONUNDRUM OF OUT-OF-SCHOOL CHILDREN

Governments are responsible for guaranteeing the safety and security of their citizens and providing uninterrupted access to quality education on a global scale. Unfortunately, the Nigerian government has encountered difficulties meeting these obligations, resulting in more children not attending school. This study, utilizing system theory and the documentary method for data collection and content analysis, examines the effects of internal insecurity on the education system, including student abductions and school attacks by bandits and terrorists, primarily in northern Nigeria. The study also investigated how these security challenges have contributed to the rising number of out-of-school children. The findings indicate that the kidnapping of students and the constant attacks on schools, along with the preceding school closures, have impeded the accessibility and affordability of fundamental education in Nigeria, increasing the number of children who are not in school. Based on the findings, the study recommends government prioritization and increased funding for education, as well as the provision of scholarship assistance and the deployment of armed education marshals to vulnerable students and institutions in states with security challenges.