The pervasive and untamed insecurity issue prevalent in Nigeria has had numerous direct adverse effects on the country’s educational system and the safety of its students and faculty. Unidentified armed groups and kidnappers have carried out a variety of attacks on educational institutions. Overwhelmed by the fear of encountering the danger, a large number of students have been deprived of their right to education. As part of the quest to curb this despicable conduct, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has established a specialized squad to safeguard and secure schools all around the country.
Dr. Ahmed Abubakar Audi, the Corps’ Commandant General, made the announcement while delivering his keynote address on Monday at the opening session of the capacity-building courses for safe school administrators and managers, which took place at the NSCDC’s national headquarters. According to him, the National Safe School Program’s implementation strategy called for the formation of the Safe School Special Response Squad (SSSRS), which is the armed wing of the National Safe Schools Response Coordination Centre.
Primary objective is to prevent violence against schools, students.
As a result of this development, the Rapid Response Squad and the Female Squad have been combined into the SSSRS. He emphasized that SSSRS role is to conduct routine patrols and respond to distress calls as directed by the NSSRCC commander. The special squad’s other duties shall be as outlined in the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP). Audi explained that the National Strategy on Safe Schools is the result of extensive discussions with key players at both the federal and state levels of government in Nigeria.
Its primary objective is to prevent violence against schools, students, and non-teaching staff, as well as the host communities. The Safe School Plan was developed as a result of the widespread nature of attacks on and violence within Nigerian educational institutions, as well as the devastation these incidents cause to surrounding communities. UNDP data shows that 75% of children living in internally displaced persons’ camps do not have access to education. He stated that the high percentage of out-of-school children in the country is exacerbated by the fact that parents are afraid to send their children to schools.
Many students are afraid to attend school due to insecurity.
Dr. Audi further explained that the NSSRCC is an integral part of the program’s implementation strategy, that is charged with coordinating security measures to protect schools and host communities in concert with law enforcement, government, and other stakeholders. It is the first of a series of training designed to prepare different groups of stakeholders for their work, he said, and the center’s selection of participants has been made with the management and administrative officers’ cadre in mind.
Earlier in his speech, CSC Tersoo Shaapera, Commander of the National Safe School Initiative, voiced concern over the fact that many parents have pulled their children out of school and that many students are afraid to attend school due to insecurity. The future of the country, he said, is in the hands of the students, thus all parties involved needed to act immediately to safeguard it. While we are at it, it is important to emphasize the level of the devastating menace and the dire need for relevant authority and stakeholders to implement effective measures.
Government needs to take necessary steps to safeguard students.
Speaking on behalf of the Ministry of Education, Dr. Lydia Ifeyinwa Giginna lamented the fact that many children were denied their right to an education due to a lack of safety in their communities. She said that the number of unschooled children in Nigeria has risen due to a variety of factors, including kidnappings, attacks, violence against children, rape, natural disasters, and cultism. Dr. Giginna has called on the Nigerian government to take all necessary steps to safeguard the safety of students and faculty in the country’s educational institutions.
Related Link
NSSRCC: Website
