The Federal Government has established a Safe Schools Department within the Federal Ministry of Education to strengthen the protection of learners and improve security in schools across the country.

Minister of Education, Maruf Tunji Alausa, announced the development while appearing before the Senate Ad-hoc Committee on the Safe Schools Initiative, saying the new department would provide stronger institutional leadership and coordination for school safety programmes nationwide.

According to the minister, the department replaces the former Safe Schools Unit and will oversee the strategic leadership, coordination and implementation of school safety initiatives across the country.

“The Federal Ministry of Education has established a full-fledged Safe Schools Department to provide strategic leadership, coordination and oversight of school safety programmes nationwide,” Alausa said.

He explained that the ministry would implement the Safe Schools Initiative through a unified national framework aimed at improving coordination, accountability and monitoring across Nigeria’s 774 local government areas.

Alausa said the ministry is working with the Office of the National Security Adviser, the Department of State Services, the Armed Forces, the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and other relevant agencies to enhance security around schools.

He stressed that school safety requires a coordinated approach in view of the security and welfare challenges facing learners across the country.

“While our security agencies will continue to perform their constitutional responsibilities, the Federal Ministry of Education will provide policy direction, coordinate implementation with states and ensure that every school benefits from the programme,” he added.

The minister also disclosed that some funds and grants allocated to the Safe Schools Initiative, which are currently under review, were disbursed before his appointment and were administered at the time by the Federal Ministry of Finance.