The Plateau State Government has ordered the temporary closure of all public and private primary and secondary schools across the state following the detection of suspected diphtheria cases in several communities.
The directive, issued by Governor Caleb Mutfwang, is part of emergency measures being taken by the government to limit the spread of the suspected outbreak and protect schoolchildren, teachers and other members of the school community.
The closure takes effect from Monday, September 7, 2026, and affects schools that have already resumed academic activities for the new session.
According to the government, suspected cases have been identified in parts of Jos North, Wase, Jos South and Bassa Local Government Areas, prompting authorities to adopt additional preventive measures as efforts to contain the disease intensify.
In a statement signed by the Commissioner for Information and Communication, Joyce Ramnap, the government said the temporary shutdown was necessary to safeguard the health and wellbeing of pupils, students, teaching staff and non-teaching personnel.
The government urged school proprietors, administrators and teachers to comply fully with the directive, warning against actions that could undermine efforts to prevent further transmission of the suspected infection.
Parents and guardians were also directed to keep their children and wards at home throughout the period of the closure and to cooperate with health and government authorities as containment measures are implemented.
The state government appealed to residents and other stakeholders for understanding, describing the decision as a precautionary step taken in the broader interest of public health.
It stressed that the measure was designed to prevent further transmission while giving health authorities time to assess the situation and strengthen measures aimed at containing the suspected outbreak.
Diphtheria is a contagious bacterial infection that can spread from person to person, particularly in settings where people are in close contact. Schools, where large numbers of children and staff gather daily, can therefore present a heightened risk of transmission when an outbreak is suspected.
The Plateau Government has not announced how long the school closure will last. It said further information regarding the resumption of academic activities would be communicated to the public as the situation develops.
The development is expected to affect thousands of pupils and students across the state, with parents and school authorities now required to make alternative arrangements for children during the period of the temporary closure.
Authorities are expected to continue monitoring suspected cases in the affected local government areas while intensifying public health measures to prevent the disease from spreading to other parts of the state.