Nigeria

Located in West Africa, Nigeria faces challenges similar to other countries in the region, such as widespread impoverishment, inequality, corruption, frequent violations of democratic rights and liberties by the government, as well as the presence of non-state armed groups. After multiple military dictatorships during the 20th century, the parliamentary regime has been uninterrupted but weak since its establishment in 1999. Currently, the country scores a 0.31 out of 1 in V-Dem Institute’s “Liberal Democracy Index” and is characterized as an “electoral autocracy”.

V-Dem Institute’s “Academic Freedom Index” rates the state of academic freedom in Nigeria at 0.88 out of 1, which is well above both the West African average of 0.69 and the global average of 0.59. Despite this, however, there are very serious obstacles to accessing education, including threats to academic freedom posed by non-state armed groups, the police and armed forces, and mob violence.

Attacks by non-state armed groups on educational institutions constitute the largest threat to academic freedom in Nigeria. These groups include radical Islamist organizations such as Boko Haram, which, according to the Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack (GCPEA), has killed 611 teachers, damaged 910 schools and forced a total of 1500 schools to close down through repeated attacks on educational institutions between 2009 and 2018. Examples include the January 17, 2017, Boko Haram attack on Maiduguri University which killed a child and wounded 17 others.

While the number of attacks by Islamist groups on universities has dwindled in recent years, this earlier experience has contributed to the emergence of a pattern of attacks on university students, faculty, and staff in the form of kidnappings by armed groups. While groups like Boko Haram attack schools with an ideological motivation, other armed groups that have no cohesive ideology, often referred to as “bandits”, also abduct people from universities and demand ransom for their release. Scholars at Risk (SAR) has documented 46 such attacks against university students, faculty, and staff since the beginning of its reporting period in 2012. Fourteen of these incidents have occurred since 2024. In March of that year, more than 300 students were kidnapped in northern Nigeria over two separate attacks set two days apart. Recently, on June 3, 2026, seven university students were abducted by armed men from their off-campus student housing in Zamfara State. While students are most frequently subjected to such attacks, staff and faculty are also kidnapped occasionally. In July 2024, the acting rector of Benue State Polytechnic was kidnapped alongside two more staff members. Earlier, in October-November 2023, three professors, Haruna Ayuba Kuje, Comfort Adokwe, and Patrick Egaga were similarly abducted.

In addition to their failure to protect schools against attacks by non-state paramilitary groups, the Nigerian security forces also actively violate academic freedom rights by repressing student expression. Most recently, on January 20, 2026, Nigerian police tear-gassed students at Kwara State Polytechnic protesting against the state government’s decision to evacuate students from their housing in order to accommodate members of the National Youth Service Corps, the government organization in which university graduates are required to fulfill one year of service. On August 12, 2025, the police cracked down on students protesting the rising security concerns at the Federal Polytechnic, Bauchi campus, and arrested 48 students.

Finally, academic freedom is threatened by mob violence especially in the northern parts of the country where Sharia law is imposed. On May 12, 2022, a student from the Shehu Shagari College of Education was violently killed by a mob accusing her of “blasphemy” due to messages she shared on social media. Although “blasphemy” is not a crime recognized by the constitution of Nigeria, some regional governments enforce it under Sharia law.

Endangered Scholars Worldwide (ESW) continues to monitor the persistent threats to academic freedom in Nigeria. We call on the Nigerian government to immediately end the violation of the rights of students and faculty perpetrated by the police and the military. ESW further calls on the Nigerian government to ensure a safe and free learning environment in all schools and universities by protecting these communities against attacks by non-state armed groups. We invite all members of the international community dedicated to upholding human rights globally to join our call.

(Last updated: July 28, 2026)

Please send appeals to the following:

Bola Ahmed Tinubu

President of Nigeria

Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation

Shehu Shagari Complex,

Three Arms Zone, Abuja.

info@osgf.gov.ng

Femi Gbajabiamila

Chief of Staff to the President

Shehu Shagari Complex,

Three Arms Zone, Abuja