Condition Assessment of Public-School Buildings in Southern Borno State, Nigeria: A Review

Public school infrastructure in Southern Borno State comprising the nine local government areas (LGAs) of Biu, Hawul, Kwaya Kusar, Shani, Damboa, Chibok, Askira/Uba, Bayo, and Gwoza occupies a peculiar position in the Nigerian building-condition-assessment literature. Unlike ordinary building stock, which deteriorates mainly through age, weathering and deferred maintenance, school buildings in this zone have also been shaped by more than a decade of Boko Haram insurgency, mass displacement and interrupted occupancy. This review synthesises the general literature on building condition assessment (BCA) methodologies, the wider Nigerian evidence base on public school building deterioration and documented evidence on the scale of conflict-related damage to school infrastructure in Borno State. It examines commonly used assessment tools including the Facility Condition Index (FCI), Building Condition Index (BCI), and walkthrough rating scales. It discusses their applicability and limitations in a post-conflict, low-resource setting, presenting comparative tables and illustrative figures to structure the synthesis. Recurring themes identified include poor roofing and structural conditions, inadequate sanitation and water facilities, weak maintenance culture, funding shortfalls and the compounding effect of insecurity on both physical deterioration and the ability of researchers and agencies to conduct assessments. The review concludes that Southern Borno represents an under-researched but urgent case for systematic, security-conscious condition-assessment frameworks that combine conventional BCA metrics with conflict-damage and safeguarding indicators, and it offers recommendations for practice, policy, and further research.