As schools resumed across the country amid insecurity, many parents and some concerned citizens have criticised the Federal Government’s Safe School Initiative, saying it lacks commitment to safeguard students and teachers in schools.
Worried by the continuous school invasion by bandits in recent time, the anxious parents raised concerns over the skeletal commitment of both the Federal and State governments to end insecurity and call on governments to prioritize safety of their children in schools.
Also, the parents and citizens faulted government security plans, and policies like Safe School Initiative, stressing that they are inadequate, poorly implemented and lacking commitment.
While some parents still remain sceptical as to allow their children to return to schools on account that over 42000 schools are still in danger of insecurity, many on the other hand, have questioned the $30 million that has so far been spent on Nigeria’s Safe-School Programme, and its effectiveness calling for genuine reform and investment in the initiative.
Launched in 2014, the Safe Schools Initiative, SSI in Nigeria was aimed to protect students, teachers, and schools from attacks, ensuring education continuity amidst insecurity by improving infrastructure, building community security groups, providing counselling, and establishing rapid response systems.
Though implementation faces challenges like funding gaps and coordination issues which led to stalled projects despite federal effort including signing of the Safe Schools Declaration in 2019, the recent attacks on schools have reawakened the federal government’s commitment to ensuring continued safe learning environments.
This, however, was disclosed in the recent statement issued to newsmen by the Federal Ministry of Education, pledging support for state governments to secure learning environments.
According to the statement, the Ministry intensified coordinated interventions to facilitate safe schooling and ensure learning continuity in states where schools have reopened following temporary closures caused by security-related challenges.
Disclosing this in Abuja, the Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa said as part of these efforts, the Ministry is supporting state governments and affected communities through a comprehensive action plan aimed at stabilising learning environments, restoring public confidence in the education system, and ensuring that no learner is left behind.
Key components of the plan, according to him, include the development of improved and updated learner-support flyers with step-by-step guidance, QR code links, and enhanced deployment of digital learning portals that include learning passports.
The Minister said a digital learner guidance pamphlet has also been produced to support learners and teachers in accessing and navigating approved learning platforms.
Alausa said to further strengthen learning continuity, upcoming activities will focus on enhanced coordination and planning. These include strategic engagements with the Sub-national Governments through the State Commissioners of Education, SUBEB Chairmen and principals of Unity Colleges.
In spite of the safe learning continuity plan by the government, parents and concerned Nigerians, however, described the policy as weak, demanding tangible security for students, given the history of mass abductions and ongoing threats, with some states opting for phased or continued closures in high-risk areas.
To ascertain the state governments’ commitment towards averting a reoccurrence of school invasions, and the level of attendance of students who return to schools, especially in the high- risk areas, Nigerian Pilot investigation revealed a sharp decline in students return at the time filling the report, indicating parents, students and teachers’ heightened anxiety to return to classrooms.
Responding to the anxious parents who are gripped by fears of the previous kidnapping, our Nasarawa State correspondent reported that the state Commissioner for Education, Dr. John Mammah had asked parents that are not comfortable with Nasarawa state schools to take their wards to Zamfara State.
This is coming when the Nasarawa state government announced the Monday 12th of January 2026 as resumption date at a period most parents are not comfortable with the safety of their wards.
By Ngozi Nwankwo, Augustine Kuza Lafia, Umar Sa’id Bauchi, Padio Phineas, Yola and Sunday Ogli, Makurdi
