The Ogun State Government says it has fully activated the Safe School Initiative in line with the Federal Government’s directive, as part of efforts to safeguard learners and school personnel against growing security threats across the country.
Speaking on Wednesday during an interview on Frontline, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese-Ijebu, the State Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Abayomi Arigbabu, disclosed that the initiative is being implemented through a multi-stakeholder approach involving security agencies, communities and relevant government institutions.
According to the commissioner, the state has established a Safe School Committee to coordinate the implementation of the initiative and complement existing security measures already in place across schools.
“That’s the national directive by the Honorable Minister of Education that we should activate the Safe School Initiative in all states of the Federation in line with what the federal government is doing. So, we have set up a Safe School Committee which actually comprises various organs that are participating with us in the Safe School Initiative.”
This initiative comes amid a sharp spike in national insecurity, marked by a devastating wave of mass abductions targeting educational institutions in recent months.
Just weeks ago, brazen daylight raids left communities reeling across both the northern and southwestern regions of the country.
In mid-May, heavily armed criminal gangs launched coordinated assaults on a cluster of schools in Oyo State’s Oriire district, abducting 39 students and killing two teachers, while a simultaneous jihadist raid in Borno State saw over 50 schoolchildren snatched from their classrooms.
The crisis intensified further in late June when Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists stormed a secondary school in Lassa, Borno State, during national examinations, leaving 37 students and staff missing and three people dead.
Explaining how the initiative is expected to translate into improved security in schools, Arigbabu noted that the programme builds on existing national and state security strategies, while introducing additional measures specifically targeted at educational institutions.
“Well, like, you know, security is a national problem. And it’s being addressed nationally, but at the same time, various state governments are already having various initiatives. There are Initiatives by the various state governments and federal government.”
He added that government is prioritizing the fencing of public schools in phases, describing it as one of several layers of protection being implemented to improve school safety.
He said: “So, we have this type of thing extended now, particularly to the schools. You know, ensuring that for schools that are not fenced, we start having programs towards, I mean, taking them in phases. You know, we have done estimates, cost implications of having all the schools fenced because there are so many of the schools without fence. You know, providing the fence is one phase. It’s not as if it is the solution because it’s possible to scale fence, it’s possible to break fence and so on, but you still provide the fence as a barrier. So, fencing of schools is part of the barrier initiative.”
The commissioner further revealed that school administrators have been directed to strengthen collaboration with security agencies by registering their schools with nearby police formations to ensure rapid emergency response whenever necessary.
He added that regular security meetings are being held among school authorities, the police and other relevant agencies, while the Office of the Senior Special Adviser to the Governor coordinates broader security interventions across the state.
“Also, all the various heads of schools, we have actually ensured that they register their schools with the police stations nearby and they have the phone numbers of the DPOs and so on, and vice versa, and regular meetings to review things. And, you know, the senior special adviser to the Governor is coordinating a number of other initiatives with all the security agencies. And, apart from that, in some schools, you see physical policemen very close around the school, or even around the entrances of the schools but you cannot provide policemen and amotekun in all the schools, otherwise there will be nobody left to also ensure security inside the communities.” he stated.
Arigbabu said surveillance, routine patrols and community participation also form critical components of the state’s Safe School Initiative, noting that residents are becoming increasingly security conscious and more willing to report suspicious activities: “So, surveillance also is a part of it. You know, patrols. And, apart from that, even community leaders have been very, very helpful in organizing local meetings, and so on. And, you see that even in the communities now, because people are more conscious, when you see anybody around your area, you want to ask questions. So, if that person has any ulterior motive, because you have asked questions, that person will find a way of leaving that community, that this community seems to be security conscious”
The commissioner also assured residents that schools located in rural and border communities, which are generally considered more vulnerable to security threats, are receiving enhanced security attention.
He cited a recent visit to Yewa, where he observed a stronger deployment of security personnel around schools in the area.
“Yes, rural schools have more attention. That’s what I told you. I was in one of the schools somewhere in Yewa, one of the rural communities in Yewa, Iast week, and I saw policemen, Amotekun and so on and I especially appreciated the DPO, because the type of security is different from what you see in the heart of the main city.So, there is special attention to these local and rural areas, because they are likely prone to security attacks.” he said.
By launching the Safe School initiative, the Ogun State government is moving proactively to fortify its own learning environments against this escalating national threat. The state’s strategic response directly addresses the deep anxieties of parents and educators nationwide, aiming to deploy critical security infrastructure before criminal networks can exploit vulnerabilities in the region.
