The Nigerian government has pledged to deploy all necessary measures under the Safe Schools Initiative to protect children and ensure uninterrupted learning nationwide.
The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, stated this during a courtesy visit to the Commandant-General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Ahmed Audi, in Abuja, the nation’s capital.
Alausa, who acknowledged ongoing efforts to safeguard schools, said the nation has zero tolerance for attacks on educational institutions. He added that the government would strengthen coordination of the Safe Schools Initiative with the NSCDC.
The initiative, launched in 2014, aims to protect students, teachers, and school infrastructure from attacks, kidnappings, and violence.
According to him, recorded incidents of student abductions in the country are unacceptable, and efforts will move beyond knee-jerk responses to ensure a continuous presence of security operatives in schools, especially in vulnerable areas.
“Our children must remain safe in school, and this administration is committed to providing the resources and structure required,” said the minister.
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During a tour of the Safe Schools Data Coordination Centre, Alausa stressed the need to improve rapid responses to crises using technology-driven alert mechanisms, such as panic buttons linked to command centres. He added that more command centres should be established in states and local governments to cover even remote districts.
“We need to work on systems where you press a button in schools during a crisis, and you get an alert at the command centre. This would enable quick deployment of security operatives,” he said.
Alausa also revealed that a department is being established in the Federal Ministry of Education to coordinate national implementation of the Safe Schools Initiative and enhance collaboration with the NSCDC. He emphasised that sustainable financing options are being explored to ensure continuous funding for school security, particularly given delays in budgetary releases.
The minister noted that the NSCDC remains the lead agency in the initiative, urging stakeholders to take a more active role in securing schools. “Protecting children in schools is a collective responsibility, not just that of the government, security agencies, or communities alone,”he said.
Establishment of Community Security Structures
The NSCDC Commandant-General, Audi, commended plans to cascade command centres to Local Government Areas, noting that it will improve rapid response strategies. He disclosed that currently, only six states, in collaboration with the NSCDC, have operational command centres.
He said nationwide vulnerability assessments revealed that more than 60,000 out of 81,000 schools lacked adequate security, prompting the corps to develop an operational strategy to safeguard schools effectively.
“These schools are porous in the sense that there was no presence of security personnel or fences. There was an urgent need for security, which guided us in developing our operational strategy for mutual safety in schools,” he said.
Audi highlighted that the strategies include establishing specialised female squads and community security structures, which have prevented over 110 security threats against schools nationwide.
“The School Security Vanguard, the Safe Schools Protection Squad, and the community engagement initiatives have significantly strengthened intelligence gathering and emergency response,” he said.
The Commandant-General also identified funding as a major challenge hampering effective operations but assured of the corps’ full commitment to safeguarding schools across the country.