Safe Schools Programme Faces Pressure but Remains Operational, NSCDC Says
Amid renewed concerns over the rising cases of school abductions in parts of the country, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has maintained that the Federal Government’s National Safe Schools Initiative remains active, functional, and central to efforts aimed at protecting learning environments nationwide.
Speaking in Abuja during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), NSCDC Public Relations Officer, Babatunde Afolabi, said the programme—launched in 2014 following the abduction of schoolgirls in Chibok—continues to operate without interruption through a multi-layered security and intelligence structure.
According to him, the National Safe Schools Response Coordination Centre (NSSRCC) remains fully operational and functions 24/7 as an intelligence hub staffed by officers from multiple security agencies.
“The NSSRCC remains fully operational, highly active and functional 24/7 as an integrated intelligence hub with dedicated desk officers from several security agencies,” he said.
However, Afolabi cautioned that delays in reporting early warning signs from communities remain a major challenge that could slow down response times during security incidents. He stressed that the success of the initiative depends heavily on citizen participation, particularly through timely intelligence sharing.
“This is because perpetrators live within host communities, and community leaders, traditional rulers and other citizens hold the key to early indicators,” he said.
He added that effective use of the “see something, say something” protocol could significantly enhance the ability of security agencies to intercept threats before they reach schools.
The NSCDC spokesperson further explained that the NSSRCC, hosted at the Corps’ national headquarters in Abuja, has been decentralised to state and local government levels across the country to strengthen coordination and response capacity.
According to him, the system also operates the National Safe School Integrated Command and Intelligence System (NSS-ICIS), which maps schools, assesses vulnerability levels, and assigns risk scores to institutions nationwide.
“Till date, the system has mapped and registered over 169,000 schools into its data infrastructure and has successfully averted dozens of active security threats and pre-emptive interventions, particularly in high-risk zones.
“Many of these operational victories are kept quiet to protect active intelligence lines,” he said.
Despite these gains, Afolabi acknowledged that significant structural gaps continue to undermine school safety efforts. He noted that many schools still lack basic security infrastructure such as perimeter fencing, controlled access gates, and surveillance systems.
He, however, maintained that the unpredictable tactics of non-state actors make static security deployment insufficient, insisting that intelligence-led policing remains the most effective approach.
Afolabi also disclosed ongoing collaboration with state ministries of education, school administrators, teachers’ unions, and school-based management committees to improve preparedness through risk assessments and emergency drills. The Corps is also working with private guard companies to strengthen on-ground protection of schools.
NAN reports that since its inception, the Safe Schools Initiative has received not less than N144 billion in federal funding aimed at enhancing school security across the country.
While concerns persist over recent abductions in some regions, the NSCDC insists the framework remains intact and adaptive, even as it depends heavily on community participation and improved infrastructure to achieve its full objectives.
A visit by NAN to some public schools in the Federal Capital Territory showed varying levels of compliance with safety standards, with several institutions around Garki—such as LEA Primary and Secondary School, Government Secondary School Garki, and Festival Road Primary School—observed to have perimeter fencing and gated access control systems in place.
