Navigating educational leadership in crisis: organisational responses of Nigerian school leaders during wartime

Purpose This study examines how Nigerian school leaders sustain education amid armed insurgency, communal violence, and separatist unrest. While adaptive leadership theory highlights flexibility and resilience, it offers limited empirical insight into leadership practices in active conflict zones, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa. The study explores how school leaders balance immediate safety concerns with educational continuity under sustained conditions of risk and uncertainty. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative design was employed. Data were generated through hypothetical crisis scenarios, semi-structured interviews, and focus group discussions with school leaders in conflict-affected regions. Scenarios reflected real challenges, including armed incursions and severe resource shortages. Data were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analysed thematically using Braun and Clarke's six-phase framework, supported by NVivo 14. Findings Four interrelated dimensions of wartime school leadership emerged: adaptability under uncertainty, provision of psychosocial support, mobilisation of community participation, and organisational flexibility for continuity. Leaders improvised schedules, relocated classes, and established temporary learning environments. Decentralised decision-making and community partnerships enabled rapid responses. Resilience emerged as both a creative survival strategy and an indicator of systemic fragility due to limited institutional support. Research limitations/implications The study draws on a small sample of ten participants and two focus groups, limiting generalisability. Future research could expand to additional regions and comparative contexts. Practical implications Findings highlight the need for leadership training in crisis decision-making, trauma-informed practice, and community mobilisation, alongside policies that institutionalise resilience. Originality/value The study provides empirical insight into leadership during ongoing conflict, extending adaptive leadership theory by emphasising its relational and moral dimensions in fragile contexts.