Impact of Banditry on Girl-Child Education in Conflict-Affected Regions: A Case Study of Katsina State, Nigeria

Abstract

This paper investigates the impact of banditry on the education of girls in conflict-affected regions, focusing on Katsina State, Nigeria. Effects of banditry, barriers to girl-child education, and quality of education were examined. The study sample included 164 teachers, 230 out-of-school girls, and 244 in-school girls who were selected through snowballing (network sampling) and purposive sampling techniques. The research instruments used for the study were structured questionnaires. Statistical methods used included frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations, along with one-way analysis of variance to compare the responses of the different groups at an alpha level of 0.05. The findings indicate that banditry has a detrimental impact on girl-child education in Katsina State. Banditry not only instills fear of physical attack and abduction but also results in the closure of schools, hinders teachers’ ability to teach effectively, and disrupts students’ ability to learn. This fear creates an unconducive environment for teaching and learning, leading to decreased enrollment and retention of female students in schools. One key recommendation is that the government should deploy security agents to schools, especially in crisis affected areas, to deter bandit activities within these communities.