The Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has been awarded ‘the Most Active Safe Schools Implementation Institution of the Year, 2023’ by the Association for Public Policy Analysis (APPA-Nigeria).
The Association for Public Policy Analysis (APPA) provides a forum and an opportunity for public policy analysts in Nigeria to evaluate and monitor public policies.
According to the National President of the Association for Public Policy Analysis (APPA-Nigeria), Comrade Princewill Okorie, the award is in recognition of the NSCDC’s effort in the protection of schools, teachers, pupils, and members of host communities of schools across the country.
The Safe School Initiative is a programme by the Nigerian Government aimed at protecting schoolchildren against all forms of insecurity across the country.
Safe Schools Programme
Speaking on the criteria for selecting the NSCDC as the recipient of the award, the national president of the Association for Public Policy Analysis explained that it was based on the commendable effort made by the corps to ensure the security of schools under the Safe Schools Programme.
“The challenging state of insecurity affecting the nation’s school system is what the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, under the leadership of Dr Ahmed Abubakar Audi, is tackling with commendable effort through the Safe School programme.
The NSCDC has produced the school’s safety and emergency response tips tagged ‘A Handbook of the National Safe Schools Response Coordination Centre (NSSRCC)’.
The NSCDC has also developed a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the NSSRCC-organized National Summit on Safe Schools 2023 and created a platform for safe school initiative,” the association disclosed.
Reacting to the honour and award given to the corps, Commandant General of the NSCDC, Dr Ahmed Abubakar Audi, mni, OFR, said the award is considered a testament to service delivery by the corps.
The Commandant General, who was represented by Commander of the NSSRCC, CSC Tersoo Shaapera, added that the award will spur the service to do more, not only in school protection but also in other statutory mandates of the corps.
He called on all and sundry to contribute their quota to confront the menace of insecurity bedevilling other sectors.
Recall that the corps, as a lead agency in the protection of critical national assets and infrastructure and as one of the critical stakeholders in the safe schools implementation project, had in 2021 conducted a vulnerability survey of schools in Nigeria – an effort which provides credible data for planning and implementation.
Also, over one thousand, eight hundred and ninety-two (1,892) persons comprising security personnel, members of civil society organizations and teachers, among other categories of persons, have been trained at the National Safe Schools Response Coordination Centre (NSSRCC) in its ten months of existence – all as efforts to entrench security in the Nigerian school system.
The NSSRC, which is the first of its kind in Nigeria and Africa, is located at the National Headquarters of the Corps.
Consequent to the effort made so far, over forty-eight (48) planned attacks on schools have been foiled in the country.
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