A recent survey by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has revealed that over 60,000 schools across the country remain “porous,” lacking fences and security personnel, even as the corps has just 63,000 officers nationwide.

The Commandant-General of NSCDC, Prof. Ahmed Abubakar Audi, warned that the manpower shortage makes it impossible for the corps alone to guarantee the safety of every school. He stressed that safeguarding students must become a collective effort involving government authorities, community leaders, private schools, and other security agencies.

Prof. Audi, who led a high-powered delegation to the headquarters of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), said attacks on schools have declined since their peak in the early 2000s, but isolated incidents persist.

He recalled the rise in school attacks in 2001–2003, which led to the launch of the Safe School Initiative following visits by former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown, and later, safe school financing programs. “Now, attacks have reduced, though pockets of incidents remain. This is why we advocate a whole-of-society approach, engaging all stakeholders, security agencies, and school communities,” he said.

Prof. Audi noted that the NSCDC survey covered 81,000 schools, out of which more than 60,000 are unprotected. “Even if every officer, including myself, were deployed to schools, it would still be insufficient. Collaboration with all security agencies is essential,” he added.

The visit also discussed a proposed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between NSCDC and TETFund to create an inter-agency training framework, especially for the corps’ six training institutions. Prof. Audi expressed his intent to upgrade facilities, particularly the College of Security Management in Abeokuta, to support career development and professional growth.

TETFund’s Executive Secretary, Arc. Sonny Echono, welcomed the initiative, describing security as a fundamental pillar for educational success. He highlighted that TETFund’s funding has more than doubled under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, enabling expanded interventions and collaborations with security agencies.

“Security remains critical to education. With new institutions being set up and expanded collaborations ongoing, we must ensure that all interventions are effective and safe for students,” Echono said.