Stakeholders at the EWAN summit on Wednesday in Lagos
Summit
The Inspector-General of Police (I-G) Mr Olatunji Disu and some education stakeholders have called for sustainable measures to protect schools against attacks, abductions and other security threats across the country.
They made the call on Wednesday, at the seventh Annual Summit of the Education Writers’ Association of Nigeria (EWAN), in Lagos
The summit is with the theme: “Schools Under Threat; From Reactive Responses to Sustainable Protection.”
Speaking at the occasion, Disu, represented by the Lagos Commissioner of Police, Mr Tijani Fatai, said school safety required intelligence-led policing, community participation and effective collaboration among relevant stakeholders.
He said protecting schools should be treated as a national security priority, stressing that insecurity disrupted academic activities, traumatised families and threatened children’s access to education.
According to him, sustainable protection requires more than emergency responses after attacks, adding that authorities must identify vulnerabilities, strengthen early-warning systems and prevent the recurrence of security incidents.
“The safety of our schools is inseparable from the future of our children, the quality of our education and the progress of our nation,” he said.
The police boss said the Nigeria Police Force remained committed to crime prevention, intelligence gathering, professional policing and collaboration with educational institutions and communities.
He urged school administrators to develop emergency preparedness plans, train personnel and establish reliable channels for communicating security threats.
Disu also urged journalists to verify information before publication, protect the identities of vulnerable children and avoid sensational reporting that could endanger victims or compromise security operations.
He said education reporters must strive to investigate the implementation of school protection policies, monitor public spending and hold relevant authorities accountable.
The I-G further called for more effective communication between security agencies and journalists, noting that accurate and timely information could reduce speculation and improve public confidence.
Earlier, the EWAN Chairman, Mr Mojeed Alabi, said journalism had a critical role in ensuring that school safety remained a national priority.
Alabi said children and teachers were central to education, stressing that the future of the country depended on providing safe learning environments.
He recalled that attacks on schools, including the 2014 abduction of school girls in Chibok, in Borno, demonstrated the persistent nature of insecurity affecting educational institutions.
According to him, school closures, kidnappings and other violent incidents have disrupted learning in different parts of the country.
He urged journalists to move beyond reporting attacks after they occurred and investigate warning signs, emergency preparedness, funding and the implementation of safety policies.
“Our ultimate objective is to ensure that we fulfil our responsibilities and that every child has safer opportunities to learn,” he said.
Alabi said journalists should work with researchers, education experts and civil society organisations, to strengthen investigations and promote evidence-based solutions.
He also urged governments and security agencies to respond promptly to credible threats, while encouraging parents, teachers and community leaders to report suspicious activities through appropriate channels.
In his opening remarks, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, Chairman, Governing Board, National Universities Commission (NUC) called for a shift from reactive responses to preventive measures.
Ogundipe, represented by Prof. Joseph Awoyinfa Dean, Faculty of Education, University of Lagos, said school protection required coordinated action, adequate preparedness and consistent implementation of policies.
He identified the need for every school to have functional emergency plans covering evacuation procedures, communication protocols, safe spaces and trained personnel.
Ogundipe, immediate past vice chancellor, university of Lagos, said the Faculty of Education would consider introducing a curriculum focused specifically on school safety, to prepare teachers for security-related responsibilities.
He noted that teachers needed appropriate training to manage emergencies, adding that there was the need for children to receive age-appropriate safety education, without being subjected to unnecessary fear.
He also called for a unified national framework aligning federal, state and local efforts, with clear responsibilities and accountability mechanisms.
Ogundipe stressed that rural and conflict-prone communities deserved particular attention, while survivors of school attacks required psychological support, to address trauma and its long-term effects on learning.
Also speaking, the Chairman, Lagos State Parents Forum, Mr Ganiu Olatubosun, called for stronger collaboration between parents, security agencies and community-based safety structures.
Olatubosun, who recalled the trauma experienced by parents during previous attacks on schools, said security arrangements should extend beyond perimeter fencing and surveillance cameras.
He advocated stronger communication between parents’ associations, police formations and the Lagos State Safety Corps, to facilitate prompt reporting of threats.
According to him, community representatives must position themselves in alerting security agencies immediately, when threats emerge in their respective areas.
He commended EWAN for sustaining discussions on school safety, expressing hope that the summit would produce practical measures to improve protection.
The stakeholders agreed that sustainable school safety required continued investment, effective coordination, community engagement and accountability to ensure that children could learn without fear.(NAN)
