3 States in Northern Nigeria insist schools remain closed for Ramadan

By, Onome Jackson

Spirited concern raised by Christian Association of Nigeria about holiday granted to both primary and secondary schools in their states for Ramadan fast has been rebuffed.

Kebbi, Bauchi and Kano State governments explained that the closure would only affect a maximum of two weeks from the initial academic calendar, emphasising that it would not disrupt school activities.

In waving aside CAN calls for schools to be reopened during Ramadan, the governments said,

“Our normal school calendar already factored in closures during the fasting period. So, the issue of disrupting the academic calendar does not arise,”

“There is no reason why the state government would reverse the directive as the decision to close the schools was taken after a meeting with all relevant stakeholders.

“There was a stakeholders’ meeting at the federal level during which the Christian Association of Nigeria was fully represented.

Earlier, YOUNEWS is aware that CAN in the 19 northern states and Abuja, on Monday, condemned the school closures in Kebbi and other Shariah-practicing states, including Bauchi, Katsina, and Kano, where schools have been shut for five weeks.

In a statement issued in Kaduna, Northern CAN Chairman, Rev. John Joseph Hayab, expressed concern that the closures would negatively impact students preparing for crucial examinations, including the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination and Junior Secondary School exams.

“We are worried about these closures, especially considering the setbacks already faced by students in most northern states due to rising insecurity. The decision could further hinder educational progress,” Hayab said.

He also noted that many of the children affected by the closures are under 14 years old and may not yet be religiously mature enough to observe fasting.

“Additionally, the recent Multidimensional Poverty Index by the National Bureau of Statistics highlights the educational challenges in these states, with Bauchi at 54%, Kebbi at 45%, Katsina at 38%, and Kano at 35% of children lacking access to education,” he added.

Hayab pointed out that even in predominantly Islamic countries such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, schools remain open during Ramadan, urging northern governors to adopt a similar approach.

“Instead of shutting down schools, a better approach would be to reduce school hours, allowing students and teachers time to observe fasting without compromising education. We have consulted Islamic scholars, and they confirmed that these school closures are more about political expediency than religious necessity,” he argued.