Displaced by conflict and cut off from formal education, children living in some camps across Nigeria are now finding hope in makeshift classrooms built from old shipping containers.
Known as SchoolBox, these solar-powered units are helping hundreds of out-of-school children return to learning in a safe and structured environment.
The steel containers sitting at the edge of an Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp look like ordinary cargo units. But inside, you will find children reading aloud, teachers scribbling on whiteboards, and the low hum of a solar-powered fan cutting through the afternoon heat.
LEADERSHIP gathered that many of these children were born into displacement, while others, uprooted by conflict, are experiencing formal education for the very first time. And it’s all happening inside what they now fondly call SchoolBox.
The innovative initiative, pioneered by The Offshore Lab, is turning crisis into opportunity by transforming retired shipping containers into fully functional, solar-powered classrooms. Each unit comes equipped with desks, whiteboards, ventilation, and digital tablets powered by clean energy, an educational oasis in the midst of upheaval.
At the Benue IDP Camp in the Mbayongo community along Gbajimba Road in Guma Local Government Area, children who once wandered aimlessly in the dust now speak with pride about their new learning space.
Salom Bezrale, the camp’s Head Girl, said: “The SchoolBox make us learn well. We now sit on chairs, not on mats again. We write our exams in the classroom. We are very happy, thank you, Offshore.”
Her friend and Assistant Head Girl, Emmanela Igbalnun, added: “SchoolBox is very helpful to us. We are learning very well now. We now sit on good chairs. And the classroom is fun and comfortable.”
The SchoolBox concept was born in 2024 when Emeka Obiwulu, founder of The Offshore Lab, visited an IDP camp near Alau Dam in Borno State. What he saw changed his life, and the lives of hundreds of displaced children.
Obiwulu recalled in an exclusive interview with LEADERSHIP; “There were hundreds of children just sitting around. No school, no books, nothing. It struck me that even as we gave food, we were feeding the body but leaving the mind to starve. That was the moment I knew we had to act differently.
“That moment led to the creation of SchoolBox, a mobile, scalable classroom that can reach communities traditional schools cannot.”
Within months, Obiwulu and his team converted a 40-foot container into a prototype, launching a movement now active in Benue, Borno, and other northern states.
Each SchoolBox can accommodate up to 30 learners and is designed to withstand fragile environments.
“We are not trying to build permanent schools in impermanent spaces. We’re building durable education for fragile contexts. If the children can’t reach school, school must reach them,” he added.
Educators at the Benue camp said the impact has been transformative. Speaking, head Teacher, Ternenge Nyibiam, noted how the structure has elevated both teaching and learning.
“Teaching has become easier and more effective. The seating arrangement allows free movement during lessons. When it rains, the container shelters staff and pupils alike. It has changed everything for the better.”
Assistant Head Teacher, Bagu Gloria, emphasised the emotional shift the space has created; “The classroom is a symbol of hope. Pupils now feel safe and motivated to learn. They feel they are not forgotten. Amidst hardship, they see that their dreams are valid.”
On his part, the Head Boy, Markudi Terkula Bemdoo, shared his appreciation: “The SchoolBox has helped us pupils a lot. We now sit on chairs, not on the floor again. We can write very well now. We are happy, God bless Offshore Lab for us.”
Our correspondent also observed that the teaching model is just as forward-thinking as the physical space. Educators are sourced from host communities and trained in trauma-informed methods.
Learning is blended with offline digital content, allowing children to progress at their own pace, regardless of internet access.
Obiwulu further said that by 2030, the goal is to deploy 10,000 SchoolBox units across Nigeria. “We want to reach every flood-prone, desert, and displaced community. Education should not be a casualty of crisis. Every child, no matter where they are, deserves a chance.”
Meanwhile, Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) at the New Kuchingoro camp in Abuja are benefiting from a similar grassroots initiative, where volunteer teachers have continued to take up the responsibility of providing education to displaced children.
New Kuchingoro, located in the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), is home to over 1,000 IDPs, most of whom were displaced in 2014 following insurgent attacks in Borno State.
Enoch Yohanna, founder and coordinator of the IDP school in the camp, spoke about the growing challenges faced by displaced persons in Abuja and Borno State during an interview with LEADERSHIP.
Yohanna is one among the victims that was displaced in 2014 from Borno and was moved to help the children when he visited the camp due to the passion he had for his people, having already graduated at the time.
He also commended the initiative of the SchoolBoxes deployed in Benue and urged the founders to expand the innovation to other IDP camps in dire need of education across the country.
He also welcomed the idea of connecting with The Offshore Lab to explore collaborative opportunities.
“Yes, we would be glad to share ideas or collaborate, even if it’s not directly for our camp. Humanity should not be limited to one location.”
Yohanna explained that in many cases, IDP camps are being forcefully shut down by the government, even though the communities the people fled from remain unsafe.
“The government is using its power to return people to unsafe places. Some of those who were returned have been killed in repeated attacks in Baga, Borno State.
“Others have been abducted by the same groups they ran from. Many felt safer in the camps, but the government insists they return home. I think it’s a crime, it’s even genocide.
“When people are being forced into dangerous situations, and the government calls for national support, that’s not humanitarian. It’s emotional manipulation, an act of administrative terrorism.”
Yohanna also raised concerns about the state of education in Borno. He noted that many schools have not just been abandoned due to crisis, but are being completely removed from government records.
“If it were due to crisis, the school buildings might remain empty, but their names would still exist on the official list. But these schools are being completely scrapped out, there’s clearly another motive,” he said.
He expressed worry over the state’s approach to education. “Borno State is planning to build around 27 mega Islamic colleges. I’m not against Islamic schools. But the normal conventional schools, where both Muslim and Christian children can learn and grow together, are being phased out.”
He emphasised the need for unity and inclusive education in Nigeria.
“These new schools are technically Islamic high colleges, offering math, science, and other general subjects, but the perception among Christians is that it’s not a place for their children. This further deepens religious divisions,” Yohanna noted.
He recalled the history of their educational efforts: “We started informal classes in 2015. By 2016, NGOs began supporting us. In 2017, we built our own school from scratch within the camp. It was a collective effort from the displaced people themselves.”
When asked about government support, Yohanna said, “We don’t receive much help from the local administration. Most of the school is run by volunteers, and we reach out to organisations that can help us pay teachers’ salaries.
“Our goal is simple: to ensure that these children do not stay at home without education,” he said.
