ActionAid condemns school violence, calls for urgent child protection reforms

ActionAid Nigeria has condemned recent incidents of violence and bullying involving students at the Igbinedion Education Centre, describing them as a grave violation of children’s rights and evidence of systemic failures in Nigeria’s education system.

In a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja on Tuesday, the ActionAid Country Director, Dr Andrew Mamedu, said every child is entitled to safety, dignity, and protection from violence, as guaranteed under the Child Rights Act and international standards.

He stressed that the incident reflects a broader breakdown in child protection, monitoring, and accountability structures, noting that the abuse highlights lapses in school supervision systems that should ordinarily detect early warning signs and prevent escalation.

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According to Mamedu, when such incidents go unnoticed or unaddressed, it signals deep institutional weaknesses and

further emphasised that the case is not isolated, pointing to a wider pattern of underreported bullying, abuse, and school-related gender-based violence across the country.

Fear, stigma, weak reporting systems, and lack of trusted channels, he said, continue to silence victims and allow abuse to persist.

ActionAid Nigeria also raised concerns over the circulation of videos and images of the affected students, noting that the fact that, such content was shared by students themselves reflects a failure of formal safeguarding systems, with social media becoming a last resort for seeking help.

The organisation called for coordinated action among key stakeholders, including government agencies, schools, civil society, law enforcement, and parents, while urging authorities like the Universal Basic Education Commission and the National Human Rights Commission to strengthen implementation of child protection frameworks through improved monitoring and real-time reporting systems.

Schools, the organisation said, must establish confidential reporting channels, ensure proper training for staff on safeguarding and trauma-informed care, and take swift action against abuse. It warned that institutions with persistent violations should face sanctions, including possible closure.

ActionAid Nigeria also called on law enforcement agencies to thoroughly investigate and prosecute cases of violence against children, while encouraging parents to promote values of empathy and support children in reporting abuse without fear.

The organisation reiterated that protecting children is a shared responsibility and warned against the culture of reactive responses, where action is only taken after incidents gain public attention.