The Federal Government and the Nigeria Police Force on Monday formally launched the Safe Schools Initiative in Lagos State, in a bold step to safeguard Nigeria’s learning environments against rising threats and attacks on education. The event, held at Ikeja, brought together top government officials, security agencies, education stakeholders, community leaders, school proprietors, students and members of host communities in a show of unified commitment to school safety.
Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, CP Olohundare Jimoh, who hosted the forum, described the launch as a proactive, transformative moment for school security in the state. He said the initiative marks a renewed drive by the Nigeria Police to ensure that schools, where young minds are nurtured, remain safe havens, free from fear or intimidation. He explained that the establishment and training of the Schools Protection Squad (SPS), a new special unit under the state police command, is intended to provide skilled and rapid-response personnel equipped to prevent and respond to any threat targeting schools.
Mr. Jimoh said the initiative is a strategic response to the growing concerns around cult violence, kidnappings, school abductions and attacks on educational infrastructure, which have put learners and teachers at grave risk in various parts of the country. He emphasized that the police alone cannot carry the burden of this responsibility and called on school proprietors, parents, traditional leaders, religious institutions and youth groups to actively partner with the force in building and maintaining a community-driven school protection model. According to him, the collaboration of stakeholders is key to intelligence gathering, deterrence of threats, early warning systems, and swift incident management. He urged schools to establish working protocols with local police divisions, adopt security-conscious policies, hold regular safety drills and maintain open communication channels with authorities. He also charged students to remain alert, report suspicious activity and participate in safety education programmes.
The Commissioner expressed gratitude to the Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, for prioritising the project and approving Lagos as one of the pilot states for the first phase of its implementation. He equally thanked Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, represented at the event by the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Hon. Alli Balogun, for the Lagos State Government’s consistent support to police operations and education security.
In his address, CP (Dr.) Abayomi Shogunle, Commissioner in charge of the Schools Protection Squad at Force Headquarters, Abuja, presented a national overview of government efforts to institutionalise safe and violence-free schools in Nigeria. He said the country’s journey towards school security gained international recognition when Nigeria formally signed the Safe Schools Declaration on December 31, 2019, joining 118 other countries committed to protecting education from attack. He noted that the 2021 national policy on safety and security in schools was developed to guide coordinated implementation of strategies nationwide. He recalled that Nigeria hosted the 4th International Conference on the Safe Schools Declaration in October 2021 in Abuja, a move aimed at consolidating domestic and international efforts around the agenda.
Dr. Shogunle disclosed that in 2022, the Federal Government introduced key policy instruments, including the National Policy on Safety, Security, and Violence-Free Schools and the Minimum Standards for Safe Schools. This was followed by the rollout of the Mid-Term National Plan on Financing Safe Schools (2023–2026), which is currently being implemented across 18 pilot states. According to him, the Safe Schools Initiative embraces a “whole-of-society approach” and includes the setup of Safe Schools Response Coordination Centres in all states and local governments, supported by a 24/7 Emergency Response Centre now operational for schools nationwide.
He stated that the objectives of the policy include building the capacity of school communities to protect education, integrating host communities into school safety infrastructure, enhancing intelligence and emergency response mechanisms, and supporting survivors of school-related attacks. He affirmed that the police are fully mobilised to implement this mandate in Lagos and beyond, in line with the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda and commitment to human capital development.
Representing the Inspector General of Police at the event, Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) Adegoke Fayoade reaffirmed the urgency of the initiative, citing global data from the Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack which recorded over 5,000 attacks on schools worldwide between 2020 and 2022. He said the Nigerian police is adapting intelligence-led and community-driven strategies to prevent such occurrences domestically.
In her presentation, Hajiya Halima Iliya, National Coordinator on Financing Safe Schools from the Federal Ministry of Finance, called on state and local governments to allocate specific budget lines for school security. She urged the integration of host communities into the national safe schools framework, noting that inclusive participation is crucial for sustaining progress and preventing reversals. She emphasized that safeguarding education is a constitutional responsibility that must be shared among all levels of government, civil society and the private sector.
The forum concluded with a resounding commitment from all stakeholders to uphold school safety as a non-negotiable national priority. The Nigeria Police, in partnership with the Lagos State Government and host communities, pledged to continue implementing comprehensive strategies to ensure that every child in Lagos can pursue education in an environment free from threats, fear, or disruption.