The Federal Government says it is adopting comprehensive measures to strengthen security and build resilient learning environments in the 117 Federal Unity Colleges across the country amid growing security challenges.
The Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmad, gave the assurance on Wednesday in Abuja at the 2026 Annual General Meeting (AGM) of Principals of Federal Unity Colleges.
Ahmad said the government was committed to ensuring that insecurity does not disrupt teaching and learning, stressing the need for practical and sustainable measures to protect students, teachers and school infrastructure.
She identified physical security infrastructure, community-based intelligence, psychosocial support and technology-driven learning as four strategic pillars of the ministry’s approach to school safety.
According to her, the ministry is working with the National Safe Schools Response Coordination Centre to review and upgrade security infrastructure across Federal Unity Colleges.
She said the measures included strengthening perimeter fencing, improving access control points and gradually integrating electronic surveillance systems where feasible.
The minister emphasised the importance of community participation in school security, urging principals to establish functional partnerships with traditional rulers, community leaders, youth organisations and local security groups.
Ahmad also said the ministry was strengthening psychosocial support services through improved training for school guidance counsellors in trauma-informed care and crisis counselling.
She explained that insecurity affected not only school operations but also the psychological well-being of students, teachers and parents, leading to absenteeism, learning disruptions and difficulties in retaining qualified teachers in high-risk areas.
On educational continuity, the minister said the government was leveraging technology and digital learning platforms to ensure that academic activities continued even when insecurity forced schools to close temporarily.
She said teachers were being prepared for hybrid teaching methods, while accessible digital learning resources were being expanded to support students during emergencies
Ahmad tasked principals to review their respective school safety plans and develop practical, zone-specific strategies that reflected the security realities of their locations.
“The Federal Ministry of Education stands unreservedly behind you.
“We will continue to prioritise your administrative welfare, advocate for the mobilisation of necessary security resources and implement systematic reforms to ensure that our Federal Unity Colleges remain safe havens of academic excellence, peace and national unity,” she said.
Earlier, the Chairman of Principals of Federal Unity Colleges, Alhaji Shehu Dahiru, said the security situation confronting some schools required a collective response from government, school administrators, parents, host communities and security agencies.
Dahiru said some colleges were located in or near areas affected by banditry, kidnapping and communal conflicts, which had affected enrolment, attendance, staff morale and academic activities.
He called for stronger security arrangements around vulnerable colleges, improved infrastructure, accelerated recruitment of qualified teachers and sustained funding for essential facilities.
The chairman also stressed the need for every college to develop a learning continuity plan to address disruptions caused by insecurity and other emergencies.
He said such plans should include digital and offline learning resources, alternative teaching arrangements, psychosocial support, communication with parents and structured academic recovery programmes.
In a paper titled, “Technology and Digital Learning for Education Continuity During Insecurity,” Mr Abubakar Isah, a resource person, said technology could help sustain academic activities when conventional classroom instruction became difficult or temporarily impossible.
Isah identified preparedness, response and recovery as essential components of an effective education continuity plan.
He said digital platforms could enable teachers to deliver lessons remotely, share instructional materials, administer assignments and maintain communication with students during emergencies.
He also highlighted the Federal Ministry of Education’s digital learning initiatives, including Inspire Live Class and Learning Passport, as platforms capable of expanding access to educational resources.
According to him, the government’s zero-rated data initiative will help reduce the cost of accessing digital learning resources for teachers and students.
Isah, however, stressed that technology should complement rather than replace teachers and conventional classroom instruction.
He urged principals to strengthen teachers’ digital literacy and ensure that their colleges had adequate infrastructure to support technology-driven learning.
The five-day AGM, which began on Nov. 9 and ends on Nov. 13, is themed, “Nigerian Schools in the Midst of Insecurity: Building Safe, Resilient and Sustainable Learning Environment”.(NAN)
