Research Article

MITIGATING SCHOOL-DROP-OUT-SYNDROME THROUGH INTEGRATING RECONCILIATORY INITIATIVES INTO EDUCATIONAL RECOVERY FOR SUSTAINING PEACE IN POST-BANDITRY BIRNIN GWARI COMMUNITY OF KADUNA STATE, NIGERIA

Auwalu INUSA1*, Gidado Likko LAWAL2, Salisu ISAH3
1 Department of Arts and Social Science Education, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.
2 Department of Educational Psychology and Counselling, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.
3 Department of Educational Foundations and Curriculum, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.
* Corresponding author: auwalyunus41@gmail.com
Published: Oct, 2025
Pages: 101-106
Views: 11
Downloads: 7

Abstract

This paper explored how school drop-out syndrome can be mitigated by integrating reconciliatory initiativesinto educational recovery for sustaining peace in post-banditry Birnin Gwari, Kaduna State. It examines how therecent reconciliatory initiatives in Birnin Gwari LGA and Kaduna State, which combine community-leddialogue, amnesty programs, and socio-economic rehabilitation, offer a fragile yet promising pathway to peaceafter years of banditry. It starts by examining the devastating impact of banditry on education in Birnin GwariLGA, Kaduna State, Nigeria. Through a qualitative analysis of secondary data, it explores how persistentinsecurity has disrupted schooling, exacerbated dropout rates, and deepened socio-economic inequalities. Thepaper proceeds to explore how these peace-building efforts can be sustained, adapted, and replicated to reviveeducation and prevent relapse into violence. Drawing parallels with global post-conflict recovery models, itargues that education itself must be both a beneficiary and a driver of sustainable peace. The paper concludesthat banditry in Birnin Gwari reflects systemic issues of state fragility, resource competition, and ethnic strife;that, unlike ideological insurgencies, bandits exploit economic grievances, complicating counter-measures; thateducation crisis mirrors global patterns ( Sahel conflicts) but is intensified by local factors like illegal miningand weak law enforcement; thatgovernment responses, such as the Safe Schools Initiative, face challenges ofcorruption and underfunding and that Birnin Gwari’s tentative peace demonstrates that reconciliatory initiatives,when rooted in community agency and socio-educational investment, can reverse banditry’s harms. However,without systemic commitment to equity and justice, the paper believes that these gains risk erosion. By treatingeducation as inseparable from peace-building, Nigeria can transform Birnin Gwari from a cautionary tale into ablueprint for conflict resolution. The paper recommends enhanced security, community engagement, leveragingtechnology, and national policy integration in order to turn the tide of school drop-out in society.

Keywords

school drop-out educational recovery reconciliatory initiatives post-banditry Birnin Gwari peace accord education

References

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How to Cite

INUSA, A., LAWAL, G. L., & ISAH, S. (2025). MITIGATING SCHOOL-DROP-OUT-SYNDROME THROUGH INTEGRATING RECONCILIATORY INITIATIVES INTO EDUCATIONAL RECOVERY FOR SUSTAINING PEACE IN POST-BANDITRY BIRNIN GWARI COMMUNITY OF KADUNA STATE, NIGERIA. Journal of Educational Research and Development, 20(1), 101-106.

A. INUSA, G. L. LAWAL, and S. ISAH, "MITIGATING SCHOOL-DROP-OUT-SYNDROME THROUGH INTEGRATING RECONCILIATORY INITIATIVES INTO EDUCATIONAL RECOVERY FOR SUSTAINING PEACE IN POST-BANDITRY BIRNIN GWARI COMMUNITY OF KADUNA STATE, NIGERIA," Journal of Educational Research and Development, vol. 20, no. 1, pp. 101-106, October 2025.

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