Leveraging technology to deliver basic education to children in conflict areas of Northern Nigeria

Abstract

Studies have shown that children residing in countries affected by armed conflict are more likely not to attend school as compared to other children. This is the fate of millions of children in Northern Nigeria, where the attacks on educational facilities by Boko Haram terrorists and the general insecurity in the region have resulted in the closing down of thousands of schools in the region by the government at various levels, without viable alternative methods of enabling access to education for the affected children. This serves as the foundation for the question addressed in this article, namely, whether the general insecurity in the region absolved the government of its obligation to ensure access to basic education for children in the region. Through the interrogation of various international, regional and domestic legal instruments and jurisprudence, the article argues that the insecurity in the northern region does not absolve the government of its obligation to provide the enablement for children to access basic education in the region. As a way of recommendation, the article explores the possibility of the government leveraging technology as a method of enabling access to basic education to children in the affected areas.