Report: Floods disrupted education of 2.2m Nigerian students in 2024

In a stark revelation, a new report by the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) has exposed the devastating impact of climate change on education worldwide, with Nigeria among the hardest-hit nations. According to the report, released on January 23, a staggering 2.2 million Nigerian students faced school disruptions in 2024 due to catastrophic flooding, highlighting the growing intersection of climate disasters and education crises.

The report paints a grim global picture, revealing that 242 million schoolchildren—from pre-primary to upper secondary levels—experienced disruptions in their education last year due to climate-related events. In Africa alone, where over 107 million children are already out of school, an additional 20 million children are now at risk of dropping out due to climate-induced disruptions in 2024.

From heatwaves to tropical cyclones, storms, and floods, climate disasters forced school closures in at least 20 countries last year. Heatwaves emerged as the most significant climate hazard globally, disrupting the education of approximately 171 million students. However, flooding proved to be particularly devastating in Nigeria, where it not only disrupted schooling but also claimed lives and displaced communities.

April 2024 saw the highest number of global climate-related school disruptions, while September recorded the most frequent, with at least 18 countries suspending classes. South Asia bore the brunt of the crisis, with 128 million students affected, followed by East Asia and the Pacific, where 50 million students faced disruptions.

In Nigeria, the impact of flooding has been nothing short of catastrophic. The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) reported that at least 320 people lost their lives, and over 1.3 million others were affected by floods in 2024. The disaster displaced more than 729,000 people and damaged 119,690 houses across 34 states.

One of the most tragic incidents occurred in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State, where the collapse of the Alau dam triggered severe flooding. The disaster claimed 30 lives and displaced over 400,000 people, leaving communities in ruins and children without access to education.

This is not the first time Nigeria has faced such a crisis. In 2022, flooding killed 300 people and displaced more than 100,000, underscoring the recurring nature of the problem. Coastal erosion and extreme weather events continue to threaten the country’s most vulnerable populations, with children paying the highest price.

UNICEF’s report serves as a urgent call to action for governments, international organizations, and communities to address the dual crises of climate change and education. As the world grapples with increasingly frequent and severe climate disasters, the need for resilient infrastructure, early warning systems, and climate-adaptive education policies has never been more critical.

For Nigeria, the stakes are particularly high. With millions of children already out of school and climate disasters exacerbating the problem, the country faces an uphill battle to safeguard its future generations. As UNICEF’s findings make clear, the time to act is now—before the next flood, storm, or heatwave pushes even more children out of the classroom and into uncertainty.