…As TETFund steps in

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has raised fresh alarm over the fragility of security in Nigerian schools, revealing that more than 60,000 of the country’s estimated 81,000 schools were porous and lack basic protection, even as attacks and abductions have reduced in recent times.

The Commandant General of the Corps, Prof. Ahmed Audi, made this disclosure during a courtesy visit to the headquarters of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), where both agencies explored a strategic partnership to strengthen security on campuses nationwide.

Audi said the scale of the challenge far outweighed the manpower available to the Corps, insisting that school security could only be tackled through a whole-of-society approach involving all stakeholders.

He said, “We conducted a survey and got data from over 81,000 schools. Out of these, over 60,000 are porous; no fencing, no security man. Then the entire Civil Defence Corps is about 63,000 personnel.

“Now, if you deploy one officer per school, including the Commandant General, I want to ask you: will it be enough? That is why we keep saying it must be a whole-of-society approach.”

The NSCDC boss noted that while Nigeria had witnessed a significant reduction in attacks on schools, isolated cases still persisted, stressing that complacency could be dangerous.

“If you have been following the trend, you would see that the attacks have not remained unabated historically. They were very high in 2001, 2002, 2003, and later around the Chibok girls’ abduction.

“Recently, the attacks have reduced. We still observe pockets, but they are under control. We are collaborating very closely with all security agencies and other stakeholders to nip the crisis in the bud.”

Audi explained that the Corps views school safety as a collective responsibility, involving not only security agencies but also regulatory bodies, school authorities and host communities.

“That is why you see the police involved, the military involved, school communities involved, even traditional rulers. Security for schools cannot be done by one agency alone,” he added.

As part of efforts to strengthen capacity, the Commandant General sought TETFund’s support to upgrade the Corps’ six training institutions, particularly the College of Security Management in Abeokuta, to ensure world-class development and career progression for officers.

The visit centred on a proposed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at interagency collaboration on training, research, infrastructure support and enhanced campus security, including the training of private security guards in tertiary institutions.

Receiving the delegation, Executive Secretary of TETFund, Arc. Sonny Echono commended the NSCDC for its “silent but tireless” contribution to national security and described security as fundamental to the success of educational interventions.

“Security is a fundamental pillar for the success of any educational intervention. We recognise the tremendous work the NSCDC is doing to keep this nation safe,” Echono said.

He pledged TETFund’s readiness to partner with the Corps, disclosing that the planned MoU would support the upgrade of NSCDC training infrastructure while also leveraging the Corps’ expertise to train TETFund staff.

“TETFund is fully committed to extending a hand of fellowship to the Corps. Through this collaboration, we will support your training institutions and also engage the NSCDC to provide specialised security training for our own personnel.”

Echono also attributed TETFund’s expanding capacity to improved funding under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, noting that the Fund had recorded over 100 per cent growth in collections since 2023.

“Under this administration, TETFund has experienced more than 100 per cent growth in funding. What we got last year was huge, and what we expect this year is also very encouraging.”

However, he cautioned that rising demands, including the establishment of new institutions and expanded collaboration with security agencies, meant the Fund faced increasing pressures.

“We are not awash with money. Our challenges are increasing exponentially. As more is given, more is expected,” Echono added.