OKIRO'S SCHOOL SAFETY BLUEPRINT REGAINS RELEVANCE AS SCHOOL INSECURITY WORSENS

Nigeria's Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa.

As Nigeria battles a resurgence of attacks on schools, kidnappings, and the abduction of students across several regions, a school security initiative conceived over a decade ago by former Inspector-General of Police, Sir Mike Okiro, is once again attracting national attention.

The initiative, initially launched as "Securing Our Children" and later renamed the "Save Our Children Project," was developed in 2012 as a proactive strategy to safeguard schoolchildren through security awareness education and institutional protection measures.

At a time when terrorism, militancy, banditry, and attacks on educational institutions were becoming increasingly prevalent, the project sought to tackle insecurity at its roots by equipping students, teachers, and school administrators with practical skills in personal safety, security awareness, and emergency response. 

Okiro, who played a prominent role in the disarmament of Niger Delta militants during the administration of the late President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua, maintained that many casualties arising from violent attacks could be avoided through sustained security education and effective early-warning systems. 

A key component of the initiative was a nationwide "train-the-trainer" programme under which teachers and school administrators would receive specialised security awareness training and subsequently pass the knowledge on to students. 

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The project also proposed the creation of dedicated school security units tasked with protecting educational institutions, preventing attacks, and ensuring rapid response during emergencies. 

Former Minister For Education, Malam Adamu Adamu at the inauguration of the Save Our Children Project Committee in 2018. At the background is Sir Mike Okiro (Project initiator), and Senator Andrew Uchendu.

According to the project framework, its objectives included promoting security awareness and personal safety among young people, reducing casualties during security incidents, fostering vigilance and civic responsibility, encouraging patriotism, and establishing a nationwide network of security-conscious youths capable of providing early-warning intelligence.

Recognising the educational significance of the programme, Okiro, through the Security Awareness and Justice Foundation, formally submitted the proposal to the Federal Ministry of Education in September 2012, seeking partnership and official endorsement. 

Although the proposal was widely praised as timely and innovative, progress toward implementation was hindered by bureaucratic delays and administrative bottlenecks. 

A significant milestone was achieved in 2018 when the Federal Ministry of Education formally endorsed the initiative during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari. 

The endorsement was announced by then Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, who inaugurated a Central Working Committee for the project and underscored the growing need for security education in Nigerian schools. 

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony in Abuja, Adamu observed that escalating security concerns had heightened anxiety among parents and guardians, leading to school closures, declining enrolment figures, withdrawal of students, and reluctance among teachers to accept postings in vulnerable communities.

He described the initiative as a critical intervention and urged stakeholders to collaborate with government in mobilising resources necessary for its implementation. 

The project was designed to begin in Nigeria's 103 Federal Unity Colleges before being expanded nationwide. However, despite ministerial backing and the establishment of a working committee, implementation failed to gain significant momentum due largely to funding limitations and administrative challenges. 

Recent attacks and kidnappings involving schoolchildren have, however, brought the initiative back into public discourse. 

Observers note that many of the security concerns identified by Okiro in 2012 remain unresolved, while incidents of abduction and violence against educational institutions have spread to areas previously considered relatively secure. 

Renewed attention to school security has also been reinforced by recent directives from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who has instructed security agencies to strengthen protection around schools and intensify efforts aimed at safeguarding educational institutions nationwide. 

Security experts and education stakeholders argue that the Save Our Children Project provides a ready-made framework that could complement ongoing government efforts to secure schools and protect millions of Nigerian children. 

With insecurity continuing to threaten access to education, many believe the time has come for policymakers to revisit the blueprint developed by Sir Mike Okiro more than a decade ago—an initiative whose proponents say anticipated many of today's security challenges long before they reached their current scale.