Covid-19: Nigerian Students Protest Over Continued Closure of Schools

Nigerian students have begun to mount pressure on the government demanding that citadels of learning be reopened. The Students under the aegis of National Association of University Students (NAUS) took to the streets of Abuja, the Federal Capital on Wednesday to protest the continued closure of schools nationwide. The students seen flaunting placards bearing different headings gave their argument that there is no justification for schools closure to continue since markets and worship places are now open

The refusal of the federal government to reopen tertiary institutions across the country due to the Covid-19 crisis is taking a worse dimension as Nigerian students embark on a protest. On Wednesday, August 19, the Nigerian students in universities across the country took to the streets of Abuja to demand the reopening of the citadels of learning.

They also resolved to give the federal government an ultimatum to lift the ban on tertiary institutions, saying failure to reopen schools will be met with rejection by students. The students under the aegis of NAUS, led by their president Ejigah Felix, protested the continued clampdown on schools. In their argument, they said there is no justification for the closure of the tertiary institutions since worship centres, markets, and airports across the country have been reopened despite the Covid-19 crisis.   The students vowed to continue with their agitation until the federal government takes a solid step on the reopening of the higher institutions. It was reported that the hope of lifting the ban on the higher institutions in Nigeria was dampened as the federal government insisted that there is no arrangement for such development.

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Sani Aliyu, the coordinator of the presidential task force on Covid-19, however, had made it known while briefing pressmen on Tuesday, June 30. His position came on the heels of the decision of the federal government announcing “a safe reopening” of schools for the graduating classes nationwide.