Teachers in Lagos State have called for stronger security measures around schools, saying improved protection is necessary to safeguard learners and teachers and prevent insecurity from disrupting education.
The call was made by the Lagos State Wing of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) at its fourth annual lecture and awards programme held in honour of a former National President of the union, Michael Olukoya.
The lecture, themed “School Safety: Stakeholders’ Strategy and Inputs,” brought together teachers and school administrators from the six education districts in Lagos, as well as government officials and representatives of the Nigeria Police Force, Department of State Services (DSS) and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
Speaking at the event, the Lagos State NUT Chairman, Hassan Akintoye, said the effectiveness of teaching and learning depended largely on the ability of schools to provide a secure environment.
Akintoye urged the government to strengthen security infrastructure in schools through measures including perimeter fencing, functional security systems and effective emergency response mechanisms.
He also called for greater use of technology to improve school security, including surveillance systems, digital attendance monitoring, visitor-management systems and emergency communication channels.
The NUT chairman further advocated regular security drills and threat assessments, stressing that measures to protect schools should be proactive rather than introduced only after an incident occurs.
While describing Lagos as relatively peaceful, Akintoye warned against complacency, saying emerging security threats required continuous assessment and preventive action.
The lecture also featured presentations by officials responsible for education and security in the state.
The Lagos State Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Jamiu Alli-Balogun, addressed the main theme of the lecture, while representatives of the police and NSCDC spoke on “Adopting School Threat Assessment and Security Crisis Response Strategy.”
The State Director of the DSS, Babajide Salako, presented a paper on “Schools’ Surveillance and Intelligence Gathering: The Stakeholders’ Awareness Agenda.”
The security agencies emphasised the importance of intelligence gathering, early identification of threats and coordinated responses to incidents involving schools.
They also stressed that school security could not be left solely to security agencies, calling for greater cooperation among government authorities, school administrators, teachers, students, parents and community leaders.
Participants were urged to remain vigilant, report suspicious activities promptly and support measures aimed at preventing threats to schools.
The NUT said sustained collaboration among the various stakeholders would be critical to ensuring that schools remain safe environments for teaching, learning and the development of learners.
