The Inspector-General of Police, Tunde Disu, will headline the seventh annual summit of the Education Writers’ Association of Nigeria (EWAN) on Wednesday, as education and security stakeholders examine how to protect schools from persistent threats and prevent attacks from disrupting learning.
The summit, themed “Schools Under Threat: From Reactive Responses to Sustainable Protection”, will hold at 10 a.m. at The Providence Hotel in Ikeja, Lagos, with discussions expected to focus on moving school security beyond emergency responses towards prevention, preparedness and long-term protection.
Disu is expected to deliver the keynote address, while the Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, will serve as chief host. The Chairman of the Governing Board of the National Universities Commission and former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Professor Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, will chair the event.
Other participants include the National Coordinator of Financing Safe Schools in Nigeria, Halima Iliya; Lagos State Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Alhaji Jamiu Alli-Balogun; Executive Director of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism, Motunrayo Alaka; National President of the All Nigeria Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools, Robert Okorie; and National President of the Nigeria Union of Teachers, Comrade Audu Titus.
Their contributions are expected to examine school safety from the perspectives of policing, government funding, school leadership, teachers’ welfare and accountability.
The gathering comes amid continued concern over the vulnerability of schools to insecurity and the consequences of attacks on pupils, teachers and education infrastructure. Beyond the immediate threat to lives, insecurity can force school closures, interrupt academic calendars and deepen learning disadvantages for children in affected communities.
The summit will consider how schools can identify security risks earlier, establish effective warning systems, develop workable emergency plans and strengthen cooperation among security agencies, school authorities, parents and surrounding communities.
It will also examine whether schools and teachers have the training, resources and support needed to respond to emergencies, as well as the role of sustained funding in ensuring that safety measures remain operational rather than being introduced only after an incident.
The media’s responsibility in reporting attacks, exposing weaknesses in protection arrangements and sustaining public attention on school safety is also expected to feature in the discussions.
EWAN Chairman, Mojeed Alabi, said the summit was designed to encourage a shift from reacting after attacks to putting measures in place before threats escalate.
“Each attack on a school affects more than the people caught in it. It leaves teachers afraid, parents uncertain and learners at risk of losing access to education,” Alabi said.
He stressed that school protection required clear plans, adequate funding and personnel capable of recognising warning signs and responding promptly.
“We cannot wait until an incident occurs before asking whether a school has an emergency plan, whether teachers are prepared or whether help can reach those at risk. These questions need answers before an emergency, and the answers must translate into practical protection,” he said.
The summit is expected to bring together policymakers, security officials, education administrators, teachers, journalists, researchers and civil society representatives to discuss measures that can make schools safer and reduce disruptions to learning.
EWAN’s annual summit provides a forum for examining challenges affecting Nigeria’s education sector, including examination integrity, basic education, school security, research, infrastructure and the relationship between education and national development.
