Schools on Alert: Fresh Push for Zero-Tolerance as Nigeria Confronts Bullying Crisis

Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.

New details surrounding growing concerns over bullying in Nigerian schools show the issue is being treated with greater urgency by education authorities, child protection advocates and international development groups, amid warnings that unchecked bullying is contributing not only to emotional trauma among students but also to broader risks involving substance abuse, school disengagement and long-term psychological harm.

The renewed alarm followed a consultative dialogue on anti-bullying organized by International Alert, where stakeholders from government agencies, education institutions, researchers and child protection advocates pushed for stronger enforcement of anti-bullying measures, arguing that policies already exist in some areas but implementation remains inconsistent and, in many schools, weak.

At the centre of the discussions was a call for educational institutions to move beyond policy statements and adopt practical, enforceable zero-tolerance frameworks, including clear reporting systems, disciplinary procedures, counselling support and stronger monitoring of student welfare. Participants also stressed that families have a critical role, arguing that schools alone cannot carry the burden of prevention.

One of the major developments to emerge from the dialogue was renewed emphasis on the Federal Ministry of Education’s reporting channels, including a dedicated anti-bullying hotline and email complaint system established under the ministry’s anti-bullying framework. Officials said the mechanism was created to allow students, parents and the public to report incidents directly for intervention, though questions remain over awareness levels and how extensively the system is being used.

Abel Enitan of the Federal Ministry of Education, represented at the event by Assistant Director for Gender, Augustina Apakasa, said the reporting channels were part of broader institutional efforts to tackle the problem. That intervention has drawn attention because one of the recurring criticisms in anti-bullying debates has been that victims often have nowhere safe to report abuse, especially when alleged perpetrators include fellow students protected by silence or school authorities reluctant to escalate complaints.

But the event went beyond institutional mechanisms. It also exposed the scale of concern among researchers and advocates about how widespread bullying may be. Dr. Margaret Ebubedike, a Senior Research Fellow in International Education and Development at the Open University in the United Kingdom, cited data indicating bullying affects between 27 and 50 percent of children across Sub-Saharan Africa, while suggesting the Nigerian picture may be even more troubling, with over half of secondary school students reportedly experiencing bullying.

Another striking intervention came from behavioural change communication expert Ayotola Ilori, who said 32 percent of Nigerians aged 12 to 17 have experienced bullying, while 85 percent have been victims, perpetrators or both. That figure has drawn attention because it suggests bullying may not be a marginal school discipline issue but a deeply embedded social problem touching a vast proportion of adolescents.

Stakeholders at the event repeatedly linked bullying to consequences extending far beyond schoolyard conflict. Anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, social withdrawal and poor academic performance were highlighted as recurring outcomes. More significantly, speakers also drew a connection between bullying trauma and youth substance abuse, with representatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency warning that some young people may turn to drugs as a coping mechanism when emotional distress goes unaddressed.

That concern was reinforced by Mrs. Henrietta HoldGod of the NDLEA, who argued prevention strategies must confront root causes, including emotional trauma. Her intervention added a broader public health dimension to the anti-bullying conversation, framing the issue not only as an education challenge but also as part of wider youth protection and social resilience concerns.

The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons also added a rights-based perspective. NAPTIP Director-General Binta Bello described bullying as a human rights concern and pressed for zero-tolerance school environments, stronger parental engagement and community-led advocacy. That framing reflects a growing tendency among child protection actors to treat severe bullying not merely as misconduct but as abuse requiring structured intervention.

Another significant theme at the dialogue was the warning that policy without implementation is failing students. Several participants argued that anti-bullying rules exist in theory but are often poorly integrated into daily school administration, rarely monitored effectively and sometimes undermined by institutional cultures that normalize intimidation, hazing or silence around abuse.

International Alert Programme Manager Sunday Jimoh placed the Nigerian discussion within a broader global context, arguing bullying is not confined to classrooms and can be seen across social and political life. Though some of his remarks drew attention for their broader framing, his central argument focused on mobilizing stronger collaboration among government, civil society, donors and international organizations to close gaps in response.

The push for stronger anti-bullying systems also comes amid growing global attention to school safety, peer violence and student mental health. International bodies, including UNESCO and UNICEF, have in recent years warned that bullying can undermine educational outcomes, increase dropout risks and damage long-term wellbeing, placing Nigeria’s debate within a much wider international concern.

Yet major questions remain. Stakeholders have called for stronger enforcement, but there is still uncertainty over how many schools have functioning anti-bullying mechanisms, how often complaints are formally investigated, how sanctions are applied, and whether public schools and private schools are responding at the same pace.

There is also growing recognition that responses may need to move beyond punishment alone. Some experts are advocating peer mediation, trauma-informed school counselling, social-emotional learning and early behavioural intervention, arguing that sustainable progress may require changing school culture, not simply reacting after harm occurs.

What the dialogue appears to have done is intensify pressure for anti-bullying action to move from advocacy into measurable implementation. For parents, educators and policymakers, the challenge now is whether these warnings produce systemic reform or become another round of concern without enforcement.

For now, the deeper story emerging is that bullying is being framed less as ordinary childhood conflict and more as a serious educational, mental health and social protection crisis. And with evidence suggesting large numbers of young Nigerians may be affected, stakeholders say the question is no longer whether action is needed, but whether it will come fast enough.

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