According to United Nations Children Fund, Unicef, most schools in Borno state remain shut due to the Boko Haram conflict. Unicef blames the Islamist militants for deliberately targeting schools.

The new academic year started this month but there's a shortage of teachers in the area. School buildings have also been destroyed in the ongoing violence.

Justin Forsyth, Unicef's deputy executive director, speaking from Maiduguri, Borno's capital, told the BBC's Newsday programme that at least 57 percent of schools there have been destroyed.

He said that more than 2,295 teachers have been killed and 19,000 displaced with nearly 1,400 schools destroyed in the eight years of fighting.

Mr Forsyth said, "There's a need to rebuild the schools and recruit teachers and encourage them to go to these more dangerous areas".

He also said that three million children were in need of emergency education.