By Ndahi Marama, Maiduguri
MAIDUGURI — The Borno State Government has directed the immediate activation of cholera prevention and control measures in schools following a confirmed outbreak of the disease in Maiduguri and surrounding communities.
The Commissioner for Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, Engr. Lawan Abba Wakilbe, issued the directive on Wednesday, describing the outbreak as a public health emergency requiring urgent and coordinated action across all educational institutions in the state.
Wakilbe instructed Education Secretaries, school administrators, principals and head teachers to activate epidemic prevention and control plans in line with guidelines issued by the Federal Ministry of Health and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).
According to him, cholera spreads rapidly through contaminated food and water, particularly in crowded environments such as schools, making preventive measures critical to safeguarding students, teachers and other personnel.
“Following the confirmed cholera alert in Maiduguri and surrounding communities, all schools must immediately activate their Epidemic Prevention and Control Plans in line with the guidelines of the Ministry of Health and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control. The safety and wellbeing of our students and staff remain our utmost priority,” he said.
The commissioner directed schools to strengthen Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) practices by ensuring regular handwashing with soap and clean water, providing multiple handwashing stations and guaranteeing access to safe drinking water.
He also ordered the prohibition of unpackaged water and food supplied by unapproved vendors within school premises.
Wakilbe further instructed schools to enforce strict food safety standards, conduct daily environmental sanitation exercises and maintain proper waste disposal and drainage systems to prevent contamination.
He called for heightened surveillance and prompt reporting of suspected cholera cases to relevant health authorities.
“All school administrators, principals and head teachers are required to ensure that any student or staff member showing symptoms such as severe watery diarrhoea, vomiting or rapid dehydration is immediately isolated and referred for medical attention. Suspected cases must be reported within two hours to the nearest Primary Health Care Centre, the Local Government Disease Surveillance Officer and the Ministry,” he said.
As part of preventive efforts, schools have also been directed to organise emergency sensitisation campaigns through assemblies and classroom discussions to educate students on cholera prevention and personal hygiene.
The commissioner warned that compliance with the directive would be closely monitored through routine and unscheduled inspections across schools in the state.
“This is not a routine directive. Compliance is mandatory and will be monitored through unannounced inspection visits. Any act of negligence or failure to implement these measures will be treated seriously. We must work together to protect our children and prevent the spread of cholera in our schools and communities,” Wakilbe stated.
He urged all stakeholders in the education sector to cooperate fully with health authorities and school management to contain the outbreak and protect public health.
