Safe schools: FG to strengthen security in vulnerable communities — Coordinator

Nigeria is broadening its Safe Schools Initiative to encompass not only school premises but also the surrounding vulnerable host communities, borderland areas, and riverine regions. This expanded strategy aims to bolster security and resilience around learning centers nationwide. Halima Ibrahim, the National Coordinator of the Safe School Initiative Nigeria, explained that school safety is intrinsically linked to the security of the wider environment.

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One of the objectives is to cascade it down to the schools, state and community levels to strengthen the resilience of the entire host community because it is our collective responsibility.

The Safe Schools Plan, launched by the Federal Government in 2022 with full implementation of its financing plan beginning in 2023, seeks to cascade security measures down to the school, state, and community levels. "It is a multi-agency collaboration where you see a lot of agencies working together to drive and ensure the implementation of Safe Schools across the country," Ibrahim stated.

Currently, the initiative involves mapping schools and communities, with an initial focus in Plateau State across its three senatorial zones. This mapping exercise extends beyond immediate school vicinities to strengthen the resilience of entire host communities, recognizing that threats often originate from or pass through these areas. The program also aims to bolster security in borderland communities, acknowledging that external actors can pose risks.

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It is a multi-agency collaboration where you see a lot of agencies working together to drive and ensure the implementation of Safe Schools across the country.

Furthermore, the government is identifying and supporting vulnerable borderland and riverine communities as part of the Safe Schools program's transition plan. Children in some riverine areas face risks traveling through waterways to access education, making these locations a critical component of the intervention. The initiative will collaborate with the Nigeria Immigration Service and other relevant agencies to enhance security in these sensitive zones. The involvement of security agencies and the Armed Forces underscores the comprehensive approach being taken to secure educational environments.

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We are mapping out schools across the three senatorial zones to build the resilience of the entire host community, not just the school community. These actors stay within the community. These actors pass through the community before they attack schools, and some of these actors are external by nature. So, we are also trying to see how we can strengthen the borderland communities.