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FG Orders 117 Unity College Principals to Enforce Proactive Security, Update Safety Plans
FG Orders 117 Unity College Principals to Enforce Proactive Security, Update Safety Plans
Federal Government directs principals of 117 Federal Unity Colleges to move beyond passive security arrangements and adopt proactive measures to prevent attacks on schools.
Principals are tasked with strengthening access control, intelligence gathering, early-warning systems, and collaboration with host communities and security agencies.
The National Safe School Response Coordination Centre directs schools to update security plans within the current academic term and conduct at least two emergency drills every session.
Education stakeholders identify insecurity, teacher shortages, inadequate funding and infrastructure deficits as major challenges confronting Federal Unity Colleges.
November 10, () – The Federal Government has directed principals of the 117 Federal Unity Colleges (FUCs) across the country to move beyond passive security arrangements and adopt proactive measures to protect students, teachers and school facilities against growing security threats.
The government also tasked the school administrators with strengthening emergency preparedness, intelligence gathering and early-warning mechanisms to prevent attacks and ensure uninterrupted learning amid persistent insecurity.
Director Overseeing the Office of the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, Folake Olatunji-David, gave the directive on Monday in Abuja while declaring open the 2026 Annual General Meeting (AGM) of Principals of Federal Unity Colleges.
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The five-day meeting, with the theme, “Nigerian Schools in the Midst of Insecurity: Building Safe, Resilient and Sustainable Learning Environments,” is aimed at addressing security challenges confronting schools and developing strategies for protecting educational institutions.
Speaking on behalf of the Minister of Education, Maruf Tunji Alausa, Olatunji-David described principals as the chief security officers of their respective institutions and frontline leaders responsible for protecting learners, teachers and school facilities.
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She stressed that education could not thrive in an environment dominated by fear and insecurity, urging principals to translate government policies on school safety into practical and measurable actions.
According to her, the meeting must focus on three critical priorities: strengthening local security arrangements through collaboration with host communities, traditional rulers and security agencies; building psychological and institutional resilience through emergency preparedness, functional counselling services and alternative learning arrangements; and sustaining educational excellence through prudent resource management, infrastructure protection, transparency and accountability.
She urged principals to institutionalise stringent access-control measures, intelligence gathering and early-warning mechanisms, while strengthening school security personnel and establishing effective communication channels with relevant security agencies.
Olatunji-David also emphasised the need for regular emergency drills, psychosocial support for learners and staff affected by security incidents, and digital and offline learning alternatives to ensure continuity of education whenever physical access to schools is disrupted.
While acknowledging the Federal Government’s ongoing efforts under President Bola Tinubu to address insecurity, she reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment, under the leadership of Alausa and the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Said Ahmad, to strengthening school protection through collaboration with security agencies, improved staff welfare, digital infrastructure and continuous capacity development.
She challenged the principals to ensure that the AGM produced a concise communiqué containing actionable resolutions and specific institutional plans, rather than recommendations that would remain unimplemented.
Every principal, she said, must identify existing security gaps, determine areas requiring improvement, and establish clear implementation steps.
NSSRCC Directs Principals to Update Security Plans
In his lead presentation, the Commander of the National Safe School Response Coordination Centre (NSSRCC), Abuja, ACG Umanah A. Anedi, urged principals to update their school security and safety plans within the current academic term.
He also called on them to appoint and train designated safety focal persons, conduct at least two emergency drills every academic session, and strengthen early-warning systems and engagement with host communities.
Anedi reaffirmed the Centre’s commitment to coordinating school protection efforts with the Federal Ministry of Education, state authorities and relevant security agencies.
Principals Identify Funding, Teacher Shortages as Challenges
Earlier, the Chairman of Principals of Federal Unity Colleges, Shehu Dahiru, described school safety as an investment in education, national development and the future of Nigerian children.
He said the responsibility for securing schools was collective and required the involvement of administrators, teachers, parents, students, host communities, traditional institutions, government and security agencies.
Dahiru commended the Federal Government’s interventions in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), teacher professional development, digital learning, curriculum improvement and the Safe Schools Initiative.
He, however, identified insecurity, teacher shortages, inadequate funding, infrastructure deficits, staff welfare challenges and rising operational costs as persistent obstacles confronting Federal Unity Colleges.
He called for sustained government intervention in teacher recruitment, equitable deployment and training, improved infrastructure, laboratories, workshops and information and communications technology facilities.
Dahiru also advocated stronger psychosocial support and emergency learning systems to ensure that security challenges did not permanently disrupt children’s educational aspirations.
He assured the Ministry of the principals’ commitment to translating government policies into measurable improvements in school administration, security and learning outcomes.
WAEC Cautions Against Examination Malpractice
In a goodwill message, the Deputy Registrar and Zonal Coordinator of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), Nigeria, Zakariya Abdullahi, representing the Head of National Office, urged principals to ensure accurate capturing and verification of Senior Secondary School One and Two continuous assessment records ahead of the 2027 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
He cautioned against examination malpractice and drew attention to WAEC’s digital certificate initiative, which enables eligible candidates to access their certificates within two to three weeks of the release of results.
Also, the President of the National Association of Retired Directors of the Federal Ministry of Education (NARED-FME), Uwem Asomugha, reaffirmed the association’s commitment to supporting educational development.
He announced Federal Government Girls’ College, Oyo, as the recipient of the NARED-FME Annual Award for Best Federal Unity College in WASSCE performance.
The Federal Ministry of Education reiterated that protecting learners and safeguarding educational institutions remained central to its commitment to quality, inclusive and uninterrupted education, in line with President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
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