School safety must go beyond policing – Stakeholders

Education stakeholders in Nigeria have emphasized the need for a comprehensive approach to school safety, moving beyond police presence to engage governments, teachers, parents, communities and technology providers. This sentiment was expressed at the 4th Michael Alogba Olukoya Annual Lecture and Award Series organized by the Nigeria Union of Teachers, Lagos State Wing, in Ikeja, Lagos.

The event's theme, "School Safety: Stakeholders’ Strategies and Inputs," was deemed timely, as learning should not be hindered by fear and insecurity. The Lagos State Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Teachers stressed that schools should be sanctuaries for knowledge, creativity and character development, not places threatened by violence, bullying or other security risks.

He urged governments to prioritize safety through infrastructure improvements, security systems and policies ensuring secure learning environments. Teachers were called upon to remain vigilant in identifying signs of abuse, bullying and emotional distress among students, while parents were urged to strengthen moral upbringing and maintain communication with schools.

The Lagos State Commissioner of Police highlighted that addressing emerging threats requires an integrated security architecture involving all stakeholders, drawing from international best practices and advocating for surveillance systems, access control and regular emergency drills. The Commandant of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps warned that schools have become frequent targets of various security threats and called for proactive threat assessment strategies to identify and manage risks before they escalate.

Other stakeholders present included the state Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education and the state Director of the Department of State Security Services.