Government to bolster protection for schools in at-risk areas, says official in charge

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The Federal Government has said it is expanding its Safe Schools intervention beyond school premises to vulnerable host communities, borderland and riverine areas as part of efforts to strengthen security and resilience around learning centres across the country.

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The National Coordinator of the Safe School Initiative Nigeria, Halima Ibrahim, disclosed this in Jos, Plateau State, on Tuesday while speaking at the 4th National Camp of Man O’ War Nigeria held at the Citizenship and Leadership Training Centre, CLTC, Mountain School, Shere Hills, Jos.

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Ibrahim said the strategy was designed to address school security holistically by strengthening the communities where schools are located, stressing that school safety could not be achieved without securing the wider environment.

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According to her, the Safe Schools Plan was launched by the Federal Government in 2022, while full implementation of the National Plan on Financing Safe Schools commenced in 2023.

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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.

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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,” she said.

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Ibrahim disclosed that mapping of schools and communities was being undertaken, with the initial strategy in Plateau State focusing on the three senatorial zones. She explained that the exercise was not limited to school communities but was aimed at strengthening the resilience of the entire host communities.

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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,” she said.

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The National Coordinator said the Federal Government was also working to identify and support vulnerable borderland and riverine communities as part of its transition plan for the Safe Schools programme.

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She said children in some riverine communities were exposed to risks because they had to travel through waterways in search of education, making such areas important components of the intervention.

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Ibrahim said the government would work with the Nigeria Immigration Service and other relevant agencies to strengthen security in vulnerable communities.

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She added that the involvement of security agencies and the Armed Forces showed that the Safe Schools programme was being implemented as a national security strategy and not merely an education-sector intervention.

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According to her, the programme was being coordinated through relevant government structures, including the Office of the National Security Adviser, while the Federal Government had provided for Safe Schools interventions in the 2026 national budget.

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Speaking earlier, the National Commander of Man O’ War Nigeria, NC Adedamola Gbenga, said the organisation was strengthening the capacity of its volunteers to support safer schools and resilient communities across the country.

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He said the theme of the camp, “Strengthening Community-Based Safe School Framework for a Secure and Resilient Nigeria,” with the sub-theme, “Building Safer Schools through Partnership, Preparedness and Collective Responsibility,” was timely.

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According to him, a major component of the camp was the capacity-building programme for Safe School Awareness and Preparedness Training, SSAPT, for coordinators drawn from across the country.

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“We must therefore move beyond simply responding to emergencies. We must become proactive in identifying risks, preventing avoidable incidents and building resilient communities,” he said.

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Gbenga urged the SSAPT coordinators to take the training seriously and return to their respective commands with the determination to make a measurable difference.

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“Let us remember that a trained volunteer can save a life, an informed community can prevent a crisis, and a prepared school can protect its children,” he said.

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He reaffirmed the commitment of the National Command to strengthening the professionalism, discipline and operational effectiveness of Man O’ War Nigeria, saying the organisation would continue to build partnerships with government agencies, educational institutions, security and emergency management organisations and development partners.

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The National Commander also commended the Citizenship and Leadership Training Centre, Safe School Initiative Nigeria, Plateau State Government, security agencies, development partners and other stakeholders for their support for the national camp.

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He urged participants to uphold the core values of Man O’ War Nigeria—discipline, leadership, service, patriotism and volunteerism—stressing that “Service Before Self” remained central to the organisation’s mission.

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