Northern Nigeria is facing a growing diphtheria outbreak that is putting children at risk and creating fresh concerns about school attendance in a region already struggling with a large number of out of school children.
The outbreak has forced state governments to balance the need to protect children from infection with the need to keep schools running. The situation is particularly difficult in northern states where insecurity, poverty and limited access to education have already kept millions of children away from classrooms.
Plateau State initially ordered the closure of all public and private primary and secondary schools on September 7 after infections increased sharply. However, the government later announced that schools would reopen on September 14. Other states, including Kano, Kaduna, Katsina, Taraba and Gombe, decided to keep schools open despite rising infections.
The different approaches have highlighted concerns about the lack of a common national standard for deciding when an infectious disease outbreak should lead to school closures. Parents also have limited access to detailed information that could help them determine the level of risk facing their children. Keeping schools open allows children to continue their education, but it can also expose them to infection if vaccination and safety measures are inadequate. On the other hand, shutting schools can cause children to lose valuable learning time and leave families struggling to supervise them at home.
The scale of the outbreak has increased the urgency of the situation. Nigeria has recorded more than 10,000 confirmed diphtheria cases in 2026, according to figures from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention. The agency reported that 68 percent of confirmed cases involved people who had not been vaccinated, while eight northern states accounted for 98 percent of the country’s confirmed cases.
Those states are Kano, Kaduna, Katsina, Borno, Bauchi, Plateau, Sokoto and Zamfara. Plateau has become one of the states most affected by the outbreak. Its suspected cases have risen to 303, while deaths have increased to 27. The decision to reopen schools reflects the economic difficulties associated with keeping children at home for an extended period. Many families depend on daily income and may not have the resources to arrange alternative learning or supervision for their children.
School closures also affect other workers whose livelihoods depend on school activities, including teachers, transport operators, food vendors and security personnel. Kano, which has one of the highest concentrations of diphtheria cases, has taken a different approach by keeping schools open. Health authorities have urged parents to watch children for symptoms, keep sick pupils at home and seek medical attention quickly. However, operating schools safely during an outbreak requires effective monitoring, trained staff, vaccination and quick access to medical care. Without these measures, classrooms could become places where the disease spreads more easily.
Katsina is also dealing with another infectious disease concern. As schools resumed for the 2026/2027 academic session, the state warned parents about cases of conjunctivitis, commonly known as Apollo. Authorities have advised parents to keep children with symptoms at home until they receive medical attention.
In Benue, health authorities said there was no confirmed diphtheria outbreak but increased surveillance across the state’s 23 local government areas and the state capital. Samples from suspected cases have been sent for laboratory testing. The wider concern is that the outbreak could worsen existing education challenges in the North. Children who miss school because of illness or prolonged closures may fall further behind, particularly those who already have limited access to learning.
Health authorities have identified low vaccination coverage as a major factor behind diphtheria outbreaks. Increasing vaccination among children who missed routine immunisation therefore remains one of the most important ways to control the disease. Governments also need stronger disease surveillance in schools, faster testing and treatment, better information sharing and clearer guidelines for deciding when schools should close or reopen.
For northern Nigeria, the challenge goes beyond controlling diphtheria. The region must prevent another health crisis from worsening its already serious education problems. The priority should be to create conditions that allow children to remain in school safely, rather than simply choosing between keeping schools open and shutting them down.
