Safe Schools: Groups mobilise media to demand accountability, passage of bill

To ensure the safety of schools across Nigeria, the Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre (WARDC) has held a high-level roundtable with media executives to advocate for the passage of the Safe Schools Declaration (SSD) Bill.

The event was held in collaboration with the United Nations Democracy Fund (UNDEF), WANEP Nigeria, the National Human Rights Commission, the International Press Centre (IPC), and other partners.

It aimed to raise awareness on the importance of school safety and highlight the media’s role in driving policy change and holding the government accountable.

During the roundtable, various stakeholders stressed the importance of continued advocacy and media engagement in the push for the passage of the Safe Schools Bill.

Nigeria endorsed the SSD in 2015, joining a global commitment to protect education during armed conflicts. This initiative aims to safeguard students, teachers, and educational institutions from attacks and military use.

Despite these commitments, Nigeria continues to face significant challenges in ensuring the safety of its educational environments.

The SSD bill, once passed into law, is expected to strengthen Nigeria’s legal framework for the protection of schools in the country.

Ministry reaffirms commitment

Delivering a goodwill message on behalf of the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Education, Abel Ogunmuyiwa, a Principal Officer of Education, Felicia Ogudu, emphasised that ensuring the protection of learners, educators, and educational infrastructure remains a central priority for the government.

Mr Ogunmuyiwa emphasised the significant role the media plays in shaping public opinion and holding authorities accountable, urging media professionals to use their platforms to push for stronger public engagement and policy implementation.

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“The challenges confronting our schools in recent years have underscored the urgent need for collective and strategic action to safeguard our learning environment and uphold the sanctity of education,” he stated.

He outlined steps already taken by the Ministry, including the development of a national policy on safety, security, and violence-free schools in 2021, as well as a comprehensive implementation guideline.

The Deputy Director of Research at the National Human Rights Commission, Uche Okwuobi, highlighted the continuous attacks on schools across the country, emphasising that “these violations not only disrupt education but also inflict lasting psychological trauma on students and their families.”

Mr Okwuobi called for an intensified media presence in the ongoing advocacy for safe schools, stressing the importance of protecting the fundamental human rights of every Nigerian child to education.

Media role

The Executive Director of the International Press Centre (IPC), Lanre Arogundade, emphasised the media’s responsibility to advance the cause of safe schools.

Citing UNICEF figures from May 2024, Mr Arogundade noted that there were 18.3 million out-of-school children in Nigeria, with 10.2 million at the primary level and 8.1 million at the junior secondary school level.

“If our schools continue to be unsafe, then we are likely to have more out-of-school children because parents would prefer to enjoy their children rather than lose them to kidnappings, banditry attacks and the rest of them,” he said.

He urged media professionals to adopt a human rights approach in their reporting on school safety issues, emphasising that consistent media engagement can hold authorities accountable and trigger positive change.

The discussion also touched on the role of the media in setting the agenda for public discourse, with Hamza Idris, the Acting Editor-in-Chief, Daily Trust, urging journalists to commit to highlighting the importance of safe schools.

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Mr Idris proposed that media professionals collaborate to develop a strategy for engaging policymakers and holding them accountable for the implementation of safe school policies.

Status of SSD bill

In her presentation, Jennifer Nwokedike, the SSD Project Coordinator for WARDC, also appealed to media practitioners to continue advocating for the passage of the SSD bill.

Ms Nwokedike highlighted that without the bill, accountability would remain elusive.

However, she expressed optimism that implementing the bill would demonstrate a commitment to creating safe schools.

She stressed the need for the media to keep the conversation going even as the project approaches its conclusion in the coming months.

She explained that public awareness of the SSD was minimal when the project started, but has grown significantly since then.

The SSD bill, which has already passed its first reading at the National Assembly, has also seen legislative progress at the state level, with Bauchi State having passed the bill through its House of Assembly.

Also, Kehinde Olayode, a professor from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, added that the successful implementation of the SSD will require resources beyond the capacity of the government alone.

Mr Olayode emphasised the need for community involvement, contributions from philanthropists, and the support of non-state actors such as the media to mobilise the necessary resources.

He noted that the Safe School initiative aligns with a global commitment to providing safe learning environments and is crucial not just for Nigeria but for the world at large.

One of the key provisions of the bill is the establishment of a national fund dedicated to supporting the implementation of safe school measures.

This fund would support the development of infrastructure, training of security personnel, and the provision of psychological support to students and staff affected by violence.

Data deficit

The need for accurate data on the state of education in Nigeria was also highlighted during the roundtable.

The Senior Monitoring, Research, and Learning Officer for WARDC, George Uche, noted, the lack of awareness about the SSD among the general public and stakeholders has hindered progress in ensuring the safety of schools.

Mr Uche cited alarming statistics on insecurity, including the rise in the number of school attacks “from 800 in 2019 to 1,440 by 2021,” and pointed to the increasing number of displaced students.

He stressed that accurate data, along with greater awareness, would help galvanise support for the Safe Schools Bill and provide a clearer picture of the scale of the problem.