Can Lagos Become Nigeria’s Model for Safe Schools?

For years, school insecurity has remained one of Nigeria’s biggest challenges, with the abduction of students in Chibok, Kankara, Jangebe, Kuriga and other communities leaving lasting scars on the nation’s education system. While many states continue to grapple with attacks on schools and growing concerns over the safety of pupils and teachers, Lagos is taking a different approach, choosing prevention over reaction by strengthening security measures before tragedy strikes.

That commitment was reinforced on Wednesday when teachers under the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Lagos State Wing, called for stronger security measures around schools, urging the state government and security agencies to sustain proactive efforts aimed at protecting pupils, students, teachers and other education workers.

The call came during the union’s fourth annual lecture and award series held in honour of its former National President, Mr Michael Olukoya, with the theme, “School Safety: Stakeholders’ Strategy and Inputs.”

The event brought together school administrators, education stakeholders and security agencies, including the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), to discuss strategies for keeping schools safe.

Speaking at the event, the Chairman of the NUT in Lagos State, Comrade Hassan Akintoye, stressed that quality education can only flourish in an environment where learners and teachers feel protected.

According to him, schools should remain centres of learning, innovation and character development, not places threatened by insecurity, violence, bullying, abuse, drug-related activities or environmental hazards.

“A safe school is one where every child feels protected, teachers discharge their duties without fear, and parents confidently send their children to school knowing they will return home safely,” he said.

Akintoye maintained that while school safety is a shared responsibility, governments must continue to provide secure learning environments through policies, infrastructure and collaboration with security agencies.

He advocated stronger investment in perimeter fencing, surveillance cameras, visitor management systems, digital attendance platforms, emergency communication channels and regular safety drills across schools in the state.

According to him, such measures must remain proactive rather than reactive.

His remarks come at a time when attacks on schools in several parts of Nigeria have forced thousands of children out of classrooms, disrupted academic activities and heightened anxiety among parents.

From the kidnapping of the Chibok schoolgirls in Borno State in 2014 to subsequent mass abductions in Kankara, Jangebe, Greenfield University, the Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation in Afaka, Kuriga and other communities, school safety has become one of the country’s most pressing educational and security concerns.

Against that backdrop, many education stakeholders believe Lagos cannot afford complacency despite largely avoiding such large scale attacks.

The state has continued to strengthen collaboration between schools and security agencies while investing in educational infrastructure, teacher development and emergency preparedness as part of broader efforts to keep learning environments safe.

Security experts have also argued that school safety goes beyond preventing kidnappings. It includes tackling bullying, cultism, drug abuse, unauthorised access to school premises, emergency response planning, fire safety and creating an atmosphere where pupils and teachers can concentrate on learning without fear.

For many parents, the NUT’s call is a reminder that protecting schools requires continuous vigilance.

As Lagos continues to experience rapid population growth and increasing enrolment across public and private schools, education stakeholders say security planning must evolve to meet emerging threats.

While no city can claim to be completely immune from security challenges, many observers believe Lagos’ emphasis on prevention, collaboration and continuous investment in school safety places it in a stronger position than many other parts of the country.

Ultimately, parents want more than quality education. They want the assurance that when they drop their children off at school each morning, they will return home safely.

For Lagos, sustaining that confidence may prove just as important as building new classrooms or recruiting more teachers.