Religious Terrorism (Boko Haram) and the Future of Education in Nigeria

Abstract

Boko Haram, Islamic Religious sect terrorism has been a thorn in the flesh of Nigerian State. The sect is using calculated violence to threaten, intimidate and maim the innocent citizens of Nigeria. The incessant terrorist attacks of the sect have shaken the fabric of Nigerian economic foundation and education progress. The attack of the sect on western education is trying to undermine the achievement of educational goals in Nigeria.  The attacks is also thwarting the millennium Development Goals on Education; such as Basic education for all children in the country, Education for All (EFA) which aims to meet the learning needs of all children, youth and adults by 2015, and Education for Rural People which aim at addressing rural urban disparity in Education. This means that the attack of Boko Haram is increasing the illiteracy rate in Nigeria. Already, UNESCO estimates that Nigeria is home to 45 percent of the global school drop out population and has 105 million children out of schools. The insurgence of Boko Haram is increasing these numbers today, thereby leading Nigeria to mass illiteracy. The attack of the sect on schools has also led to the shutting down of all the schools in some states in the northern Nigeria as a precautionary measure to stave off the outrageous attacks of slaughtering innocent and harmless children. The closing down of the schools for good is the ultimate goal of Boko Haram. Leaving the schools shut will give Boko Haram success in its bid against Western Education. This portends great danger to education in Nigeria. The attack on the innocent school Children traumatizes them. In this case there is problem of how to care for traumatized school children and win them back to the school. The school children who escaped death by the skin of their teeth, sustained serious injuries or saw his classmate mowed down in a rain of bullets may not find it easy to pack his bag and run back to school as soon it is re-opened. If the school children, out of fear refuse to go back to school, it will be disastrous for education in Nigeria. Again traumatized incident can make students to suffer both physical and psychological damages that impair their ability to learn. More still the experience of violence may induce the affected children to join bloody cults in bid to retaliate Boko Haram egregious action on them. Still, parents seeing the schools as the ground sink homes may be unwilling to send their wards back to school. Some parents whose business have been crippled and brought to their knees may not afford to pay the school fees of their children. These factors among other discussed in this paper show that Boko Haram, Islamic Religious sect’s terrorism in Nigeria portends danger to the future of education in Nigeria.

Keywords: Religion, Terrorism, Boko Haram, Education, Nigeria