As attacks on educational institutions continue to unsettle communities across Nigeria, security expert Dr. (Amb.) Victoria Ekhomu is renewing her call for schools to be redesigned with safety at their foundation.
Dr. Ekhomu, President of the Association of Security & Safety Operators of Nigeria (AISSON) and a leader at Transworld Security, argues that protecting schoolchildren requires more than guards or gadgets, it demands a complete architectural rethink of learning environments.
Her appeal comes in the wake of a troubling wave of abductions in November 2025. On November 17, armed assailants invaded Government Girls Comprehensive Senior Secondary School in Maga, Kebbi State, abducting 25 female students and their principal, while killing the vice principal, Mallam Hassan.
Within days, 52 students were taken from a Catholic school in Agwara, Niger State, and over 100 children were kidnapped from St. Mary’s School in Nasarawa. Meanwhile, 41 Unity Secondary Schools across the North were shut down amid rising insecurity.
For Dr. Ekhomu, these events make one truth unmistakable: Nigeria cannot continue relying on manpower, perimeter fences, and reactive measures. Instead, she advocates for Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED), a security approach that uses deliberate architectural planning to deter crime, enhance visibility, and delay attackers.
“Architecture can function as an ever-present guardian,” she said. “A well-designed school watches over itself. It guides movement, controls access, and creates natural barriers that deter criminals long before a guard or alarm comes into play.”
A cornerstone of her recommendations is strict access control. Schools, she argues, must not operate like open marketplaces, where individuals move freely without oversight. All visitors should pass through a single, closely monitored entry point, equipped with checkpoints, visitor registration, and dedicated waiting areas. Staff and students should have internal routes that minimize exposure to external threats.
Dr. Ekhomu also emphasizes the need for fortified perimeter security, anti-climb fencing, buffer zones, clear sightlines, and elimination of blind spots that could conceal attackers. She recommends situating classrooms away from perimeter walls and positioning administrative offices near the main entrance to enhance oversight.
One of her most urgent proposals is the introduction of secure safe rooms or lockdown areas. These reinforced spaces, equipped with solid doors, protected windows, and direct communication links to security agencies, can provide critical protection during an attack.
Technology, she added, must be integrated into school architecture from the planning stage, not treated as an afterthought. This includes CCTV cameras, panic buttons, alarm systems, public address units, and solar-powered backups to ensure reliability during emergencies.
Recognizing that many schools operate on limited funds, Dr. Ekhomu also outlined cost-effective options such as concrete fencing made from local materials, open layouts that improve visibility, solar lighting for nighttime security, and basic alarm devices capable of alerting authorities quickly.
She insists that beyond their physical function, these architectural reforms represent a national statement of intent.
“When we design with safety in mind, we build more than schools, we build sanctuaries. Every Nigerian child deserves to learn in a place where fear has no foothold.”
