The Director-General of the Institute for Police and Security Research, Charles Omole, has described the Safe School Initiative as a positive intervention but stressed that it requires adequate funding and stronger commitment from state governments to achieve its objectives.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Monday, Omole said the initiative has not been implemented as widely as expected because it has not been sufficiently resourced.
“It’s a step in the right direction, but it needs to be resourced and, more importantly, the state governments need to step up and understand that our schools are not just the responsibility of the federal government alone,” he said.
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The Safe School Initiative was introduced following the abduction of the Chibok schoolgirls by Boko Haram in 2014. The programme was launched with an initial funding of N20 billion to strengthen school protection, improve security infrastructure and enhance emergency response mechanisms.
In 2023, the Federal Government unveiled a N144.8 billion financing plan for the 2023–2026 period, to be implemented through collaboration among the federal government, state governments and development partners.
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Speaking further, Omole argued that school safety extends beyond the deployment of security personnel and must begin with the physical condition and security of school facilities.
“If you are talking of safe schools, it’s not just about security forces around or close to schools or proximity to schools. Safe schools start with the nature of the school compound itself. Does the school have a fence? Is it secured as a facility itself?” he asked.
He noted that many schools are owned and managed by state governments, making them key stakeholders in the successful implementation of the initiative.
“Many of these schools are owned, managed and run by the state governments, and that is why I’m trying to say that in a Safe School Initiative, every school must have certain security measures in place,” Omole said.
Questioning the safety standards of some public schools, he cited poor infrastructure as a major concern.
“For example, to secure your perimeter. Are schools where, sometimes when it’s raining, children are learning inside what looks like a lagoon or lake in their classroom, the schools that are safe?” he asked.
Omole maintained that while the initiative remains a commendable policy, much of the work required to secure schools falls within the jurisdiction of state governments rather than the federal authorities.
“The point I’m making is that the Safe School Initiative is a good idea, but a lot of what needs to be done to actually secure the schools are not federal government activities; they are state government-level responsibilities,” he said.
According to him, improving physical infrastructure and installing basic security measures would make it easier for federal security agencies to support and protect schools.
“When you have a school that has good fencing, the perimeter and certain security measures are put in place, then the federal security agencies will now have a way of linking up with that school to make sure the school is secure,” Omole added.
