Name: Wave of school fires displaces over 1,000 students in Ghana
Uploaded: 2026-02-13T17:17:47.880Z
Duration: 4 min 10 s
Description: At Tolon SHS, 346 students lost nearly all their belongings, including mattresses, uniforms, books, and food. At NOBISCO, the situation was even more severe, with around 900 female students left without shelter.

At Tolon SHS, 346 students lost nearly all their belongings, including mattresses, uniforms, books, and food. At NOBISCO, the situation was even more severe, with around 900 female students left without shelter.

Tolon

A wave of fires at three boarding schools in northern Ghana, including the Northern School of Business in Tamale, has displaced over 1,200 students and destroyed key dormitory facilities. The incidents, which began with a major fire on January 28th, have caused significant emotional distress among students and disrupted academic activities.

Authorities attribute the outbreaks in part to substandard electrical wiring and overloaded circuits, with students sometimes resorting to unsafe improvised electrical devices. While the affected schools have been partially closed, the government has promised to rebuild the dormitories, and parents are urging a thorough investigation to improve school safety.

Wave of school fires displaces over 1,000 students in Ghana

Students at the Northern School of Business, Nobisco in Tamale, attempted to salvage their belongings during an inferno that gutted the girls' dormitory on January 28th. For many like Hamdia Mohamed, who was in class when the fire started, what they are wearing is now all they have. The emotional toll has been heavy. Several students collapsed and were rushed to the school's sick bay by their colleagues. For Yakubu Cecilia, who returned to school in early January prepared to learn, the destruction is overwhelming. More than 1,200 boarding students have been displaced across the three schools, tolling Senior High School, the Northern School of Business and Pong Tamale Senior High School. At Nobisco, where 900 girls lost their sleeping places, eyewitnesses say the fire began in the late afternoon. By the time help arrived, flames had swept through many rooms, destroying everything. I was with my friends working in front of the girls' dormitory, and then suddenly we saw that the high tension, the wire cut down. So when it cut down, then we saw sparks of fire, then they full up, then the bulbs inside started exploding, like gunshots. School authorities describe the incidents as a monumental setback, one that has crippled academic activities and left them urgently seeking assistance. At the moment that we stand, we don't know where to keep them, we don't know. So please, all those who can help us, we are begging. The form 3s are about to write. This time the system has changed, April, June they are writing. So if this situation is going to keep us, we can all imagine what their fate is. Though the exact causes are yet to be determined, parents with children in boarding schools are worried and are asking the government to ensure schools a safe environment for learning. We parents wish that government should go deeply into it to find out the causes of these fire outbreaks. It is not only in Northern School of Business, but it's happening in other areas. It's a concern to us as parents. Anything can happen. Assuming that there was a child or a student in the dormitory, the worst thing would have happened. The Ghana National Fire Service says nearly 6,000 fire outbreaks were recorded in 2025, affecting markets, homes and schools. Experts say the problem is partly due to substandard electrical wiring, as well as overloading of circuits. When you are in school, they don't allow you to bring heaters. So we always have to come up with our own ways. Sometimes we even use a fork, connect wires to it and use it to heat the water, or even to boil and paste it in other things. And these things can easily cause fire. While the affected schools have been partially closed, the government has pledged to rebuild the dormitories. For more UN videos visit www.un.org

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