By Saddam Mato Burra
Amid efforts by the Bauchi State Government and its local authorities to combat the high rate of children not attending school in Nigeria, the frequent road accidents along the bustling Bauchi-Kano highway have emerged as a significant barrier to education in the Tsangayar Dirya community.
Tsangayar Dirya, situated approximately 12KM from Ningi town, the headquarters of the local government area, is home to around 5,000 people. The community is bisected by the highway, affecting the daily lives of its residents, particularly the younger population.
Malam Ilya Shuaibu, the principal of the community’s sole LEA primary school, which serves as the primary educational institution for the area, reports that students from both sides of Tsangayar Dirya attend the school. Despite an enrollment of about 1,200 pupils, an alarming number, estimated at 800 children, remain out of school, largely due to the dangers posed by hit-and-run incidents on the road, which have left many parents in fear for their children’s safety, with some children sustaining injuries or even losing their lives.
Xchange Hama Media’s investigation reveals the toll that continuous traffic accidents have taken on the primary education of children in the community. Parents, acknowledging the importance of education, feel compelled to withdraw their children from the primary school, particularly those living on the eastern side of Tsangayar Dirya, opting instead for closer educational alternatives to avoid the risks posed by careless drivers.
Tragedies abound within the community, with numerous children having been killed or severely injured in these accidents. Iliya Liman Sale, a local parent, shared the heart-wrenching loss of his two children, a girl and a boy, who were fatally struck by a vehicle while crossing the highway to school.
“My world turned upside down upon receiving the news of my children’s accident. In response, I transferred my surviving children to an Islamiyya School nearby to ensure their safety,” he expressed.
Another parent, Malam Yahaya Muhammad, recounted the loss of his nine-year-old son, Ibrahim, and the lasting impact of the accident on his seven-year-old son, who bears the physical and emotional scars of the incident. Despite spending extensive time in medical care, his son continues to suffer from the traumatic aftermath.
This investigation highlights the dire need for effective safety measures and infrastructure improvements along the Bauchi-Kano highway to safeguard the lives of Tsangayar Dirya’s youngest residents and ensure their right to education is not compromised by the threat of road accidents.
Another community member, Malam Ya’u Ali, shared the distressing experience of his daughter, Khadija, a third-grade student, who was struck in a hit-and-run incident by a motorcyclist in June 2023. “Thankfully, Khadija survived, but the accident, which left her unconscious by the roadside, has profoundly affected our views on the safety of schooling,” he recounted.
Yakubu Abubakar, from the eastern part of Tsangayar Dirya, decided to remove his three children from the primary school following a tragic incident where a neighbor’s son was fatally injured while crossing the road to school. “Our children’s safety is our top priority. The absence of pedestrian safety measures by the government forces us to take matters into our own hands. We’ve chosen to enroll our children in an Islamiya School nearby, where they can attend without the fear of traffic accidents,” he explained.
In conversations with Xchange Hama Media, some young accident survivors shared their harrowing experiences of being involved in road accidents en route to or from school.
Anas Yahaya, a victim of a severe traffic accident, now lives with a permanent disability. “I lost my leg to amputation after being hit by a vehicle on my way to school. I don’t recall the accident itself because I was in a coma. Initially, my parents sought help from traditional healers for my fractured leg, but when that failed, amputation was the only option. That incident marked the end of my formal education,” he said. Anas added, “Following the accident and due to my physical limitations, my parents decided to withdraw me from school to prevent any further risk.”
Anas Yahaya, another unfortunate casualty, was a student at Tsangaya Primary School when he was struck by a vehicle in a hit-and-run accident while returning home from school one afternoon. The incident has halted his education due to fears that his disabilities, exacerbated by the danger of reckless drivers, could lead to a fatal outcome. Adamu also mourns the loss of several classmates to similar accidents.
“I can no longer stand or move like my peers. Before the accident, I was like any other boy, but the efforts to heal my broken bones and dislocations have left me in this condition,” Adamu shared about his ordeal.
Salim Yahaya, a second-grade student, expressed a desire to attend a school nearer to his home following his recovery, to avoid the traumatic memories of his commute. Despite his young age, Salim has struggled to articulate the details of the road accident due to a traumatic brain injury but acknowledged that his experience is not unique among his peers.
Abdulrazak Yahaya, in the fourth grade, suffered a similar fate when a motorcycle collision resulted in fractures in both of his legs. After enduring a challenging recovery period supported by his family and traditional healers, Abdulrazak is now able to stand on his own. “For a long time, I depended on others or a stick for mobility. It’s only after extensive traditional treatment that I’ve regained some independence,” Abdulrazak recounted his journey to recovery.
Malam Hamza Chiroma Saleh, a prominent figure in the community, has observed that since 2010, over a hundred children have been victims of vehicular accidents on the highway. This alarming trend has led to numerous parents withdrawing their children from Tsangaya Primary School for fear of their safety.
Malam Chiroma highlighted the dire consequences of these road accidents, which not only jeopardize children’s safety but also their access to education. He pointed out that many young girls, deprived of schooling, are now seen hawking on the streets, with some being forced into early marriages as young as 14 or 15 years old.
In an attempt to mitigate the accidents, the government installed three speed bumps in 2015, significantly reducing the incidents. However, these were removed in 2016, once again elevating the risk to the children of Tsangaya. Despite multiple community efforts and appeals to the Ningi Local Education Authority for the construction of an additional classroom block in Tsangaya East, their pleas have yet to result in action.
Malam Chiroma has called upon authorities to address this critical issue, urging the implementation of measures to ensure a safe and conducive learning environment for the children. He also appealed to the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) to install road crossing signs to caution drivers and protect pedestrians, especially the students.
Expressing frustration over the continuous reckless driving and speeding that often lead to hit-and-run accidents, Malam Chiroma emphasizes the need for heightened road safety awareness among drivers. Bilya Ali, another community member, concurred, noting that primary school children are particularly vulnerable as they cross the road daily to attend school.
The headmaster of Tsangaya Primary School, Mal Ilya Muhammad, acknowledged the recurring accidents despite efforts to ensure pupil safety. He noted a decrease in enrollment from the eastern part of Tsangaya, attributing this to parental fears over road safety. While specific data on the affected students is not maintained, the impact on school attendance is evident, with many families from the eastern part opting to keep their children at home
Data from the Accident and Emergency Unit at General Hospital, Ningi, shows that between January and December 2023, the hospital recorded 470 road accidents involving individuals of all ages on the highway near Ningi.
Caleb Auta, the unit’s head, noted that while their records do not specifically categorize schoolchildren or isolate incidents from the Tsangaya Community, the statistics represent the broader incidents affecting all nearby communities along the highway.
Nurse Caleb Salihu Auta mentioned that Ningi’s LGA caretaker chairman, Hon Ibrahim Zubairu, has refrained from commenting on the situation, citing a lack of detailed knowledge and pending a comprehensive investigation by his council.
It’s worth noting that UNESCO has previously reported Bauchi as having the highest number of out-of-school children in Nigeria, with figures exceeding 1.2 million. Conversely, Bauchi State’s governor, Bala Mohammed, has announced a significant decrease in this number, claiming a reduction from 2.3 million to 700,000 out-of-school children by the last quarter of 2023.
NURTW React
The National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) emphasizes that the responsibility for road safety is shared by various parties, not solely its members. Abdullahi Naji, a union representative in Ningi, highlighted that the blame should be distributed among the government, the community, and all motorists.
“Responsibility lies with both the government for infrastructure like signage and speed bumps, the community for vigilance regarding their children, and drivers for adhering to traffic rules,” Naji remarked. He pointed out that while some drivers may exhibit reckless behavior, the government also neglects to maintain safe crossing zones.
Nasiru Muhammad, another driver, noted that many accidents are caused by speeding and poor vehicle maintenance. He criticized the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) for oversight in allowing underage driving.
The State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) stated it had not received specific complaints from Ningi LEA regarding this issue. Muhammad Abdullahi, a SUBEB representative, suggested that the solution might not necessarily involve building new schools but rather implementing other safety measures for crossing the road.
He mentioned that the Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) and the Ministry of Works, along with the newly established Bauchi Road Traffic Agency (BAROTA), are tasked with ensuring road safety.
Mr. Momoh Isah Shuaib from the FRSC in Ningi disclosed that this was the first time they were made aware of the complaints through the reporter. He acknowledged the role of reckless driving in road accidents but clarified that the FRSC’s role is advisory regarding road safety measures rather than implementing them directly.
Despite repeated attempts, the UNICEF office in Bauchi did not provide a comment. However, UNICEF has historically urged states with high rates of out-of-school children, like Bauchi, to intensify efforts in ensuring access to basic education for all children.
This publication is produced with support from the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ) under the Collaborative Media Engagement for Development Inclusivity and Accountability Project (CMEDIA) funded by the MacArthur Foundation.
