Nigeria’s Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, and other key stakeholders in the education and security sectors will converge in Lagos on Wednesday to examine how the country can better protect schools from growing security threats.
The discussions will take place at the seventh annual summit of the Education Writers’ Association of Nigeria (EWAN), a network of professional education correspondents from print, broadcast and digital media organisations across Nigeria.
The summit, themed “Schools Under Threat: From Reactive Responses to Sustainable Protection”, is scheduled for 10am at The Providence Hotel, Ikeja GRA, Lagos. It will focus on protecting learners, teachers and school facilities while ensuring that teaching and learning continue when insecurity disrupts school activities.
Mr Disu is billed to deliver the keynote address at the event, which will be chaired by the Chairman of the Governing Board of the National Universities Commission (NUC) and former Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, a professor of botany.
Also expected at the summit are the National Coordinator, Financing Safe Schools in Nigeria, Halima Iliya; Lagos State Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Jamiu Alli-Balogun; Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ), Motunrayo Alaka; National President of the All Nigeria Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPSS), Robert Okorie; and National President of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Audu Titus among others.
The speakers are expected to bring perspectives from policing, education financing, school administration, teaching, government and the media to discussions on how to make school protection more sustainable.
The summit will examine preventive measures, early warning systems, emergency response and community engagement, as well as the support required by education workers before, during and after security incidents.
The role of the media in exposing weaknesses in school protection, sustaining public attention on safety concerns and reporting security incidents responsibly will also form part of the discussions.
Why the theme matters
Explaining the choice of the theme, EWAN Chairman, Mojeed Alabi, said school protection should not begin only after an attack has occurred.
“Each attack on a school affects more than the people caught in it. It leaves teachers afraid, parents uncertain and learners at risk of losing access to education,” Mr Alabi said.
He said the association chose the theme to draw attention to the need for continuous protection backed by clear plans, adequate funding and people who understand what to do when warning signs emerge.
“We cannot wait until an incident occurs before asking whether a school has an emergency plan, whether teachers are prepared or whether help can reach those at risk. These questions need answers before an emergency, and the answers must translate into practical protection,” he said.
EWAN summit keeps education issues in focus
EWAN annual summit provides a platform for examining major issues affecting the education sector and promoting informed public debate.
The year’s edition is open to policymakers, security personnel, education professionals, researchers, development practitioners, civil society representatives and students among others.
Previous editions have focused on issues including the integrity of public examinations, basic education, school safety, research for national development, electricity supply in the education sector and the growing emphasis on certificates over practical skills.
Keynote speakers over the years have included the Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of the National Examinations Council (NECO), Dantani Wushishi, a professor; former Permanent Delegate of Nigeria to UNESCO, Michael Omolewa, an ambassador; former Minister of Education, Chinwe Obaji, a professor; Commandant-General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Ahmed Audi; former Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Mr Ogundipe, a professor; and former Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Peter Okebukola, a professor among other distinguished personalities.
Other personalities, including former Minister of State for Education, Yusuf Sununu, and now Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, have graced the annual event.
