Stakeholders seek unified framework for school safety in Nigeria

Stakeholders at the 7th Annual Summit of the Education Writers Association of Nigeria (EWAN) have called for a unified national framework to coordinate efforts to protect schools from attacks and other security threats.

The stakeholders made the call on Wednesday at the summit in Lagos, themed “Schools Under Threat: From Reactive Responses to Sustainable Protection.”

The stakeholders highlighted that Nigeria had introduced several policies and initiatives to improve school safety. Still, weak coordination among government agencies, security authorities, state governments, schools, communities and civil society organisations continued to undermine their effectiveness.

The summit featured a diverse lineup of speakers and panellists, including the National Coordinator, Financing Safe Schools in Nigeria, Halima Iliya; Lagos Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Jamiu Alli-Balogun; Executive Director of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ), Motunrayo Alaka; and other stakeholders in education and security.

Identified gaps

Representing the summit chairperson, Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, a professor and Dean of the Faculty of Education, University of Lagos, Joseph Awoyinka said fragmentation remained a major gap in Nigeria’s approach to school safety.

“Policy exists, but implementation is inconsistent,” said Mr Ogundipe, who is the Chairman of the Governing Board of the National Universities Commission (NUC).

He called for a unified national approach that would align federal, state and local efforts, clarify responsibilities and strengthen accountability.

“Coordination should not depend on personality or political affiliation. It must be institutionalised,” he said.

Mr Ogundipe also said school safety should go beyond physical security measures such as perimeter fencing and surveillance cameras.

He called for functional emergency preparedness plans in schools, including evacuation procedures, communication protocols, safe rooms and trained personnel capable of responding during emergencies.

He said rural and conflict-prone schools require particular attention, while school safety should also be incorporated into government budgeting and planning.

“For too long, our responses have been largely reactive, mobilising security after an incident, issuing statements of condemnation, and providing temporary relief to affected communities. While these actions are necessary, they are not sufficient,” Mr Ogundipe said.

Existing interventions

Nigeria has had the Safe Schools Initiative since 2014, following the abduction of 276 schoolgirls from Chibok, Borno State.

The country also ratified the Safe Schools Declaration in 2019 and developed a National Plan on Financing Safe Schools for 2023-2026.

In her comments, Ms Iliya said the federal government had established a national response coordination centre and conducted needs assessments to identify vulnerable schools and communities.

She said the programme also involved training parents, teachers, students and community actors, while security agencies had been supported to improve their capacity to respond to threats.

According to her, states are expected to integrate the Safe Schools programme into their annual budgets.

Security agencies

In his keynote address, the Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, represented by the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Tijani Fatai, also called for stronger coordination between security agencies, schools and communities.

Mr Disu said protecting schools sustainably requires shifting from responding to attacks after they occur to identifying vulnerabilities, gathering intelligence, and preventing threats.

He urged school administrators, teachers, parents, students and community members to report credible security concerns through appropriate channels.

He also stressed the importance of trust between security agencies and communities, saying effective partnerships depend on professional conduct, accountability and public confidence.

Mr Disu said schools should have safety arrangements and emergency procedures suited to their locations, sizes and levels of vulnerability.

“The future of our nation depends, in no small measure, on the opportunities we create for our children today. Protecting those opportunities is a responsibility we must all take seriously,” he said.

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Role of journalists

Ms Alaka said education journalists also have a responsibility to identify vulnerabilities before they result in attacks.

She urged journalists to understand what safe-school standards should look like and to visit schools regularly rather than focusing only on crises, government announcements, or donations.

EWAN Chairperson Mojeed Alabi similarly urged journalists to move beyond reporting attacks after they happen and to investigate warning signs, funding, emergency preparedness, and whether authorities implement promised safety measures.

Mr Alabi said the effectiveness of school safety efforts should ultimately be measured by whether children can attend school without fear, teachers can teach safely and parents can confidently send their children to school.