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Unveils four-pronged strategy to secure FGCs
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From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
The Federal Government has charged principals of Federal Government Colleges (FGCs) to adopt proactive security management strategies to protect students, teachers and school facilities against growing insecurity across the country.
The Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Sa’idu Ahmad, gave the charge on Wednesday in Abuja at the 2026 Annual General Meeting (AGM) of Principals of Federal Unity Colleges, with the theme “Nigerian Schools in the Midst of Insecurity: Building Safe, Resilient and Sustainable Learning Environments”.
Ahmad said increasing cases of banditry, insurgency, student abductions and communal tensions had exposed schools to unprecedented security threats, warning that the consequences extended beyond physical attacks to psychological trauma, absenteeism, learning disruptions and the worsening out-of-school children crisis.
She noted that insecurity had also discouraged qualified teachers from accepting postings to high-risk locations, thereby compounding existing challenges in the education sector.
The minister noted that Federal Unity Colleges occupied a strategic position in promoting national integration by bringing together children from different ethnic, religious, geographical and socioeconomic backgrounds.
She, however, stressed that their boarding-school structure, which accommodates large numbers of children away from their families, demanded specialised security arrangements.
“Today’s Federal Unity Colleges principals cannot just be instructional leaders; they must also be active, forward-thinking security managers,” she said.
Ahmad thus outlined four strategic approaches being pursued by the Federal Ministry of Education under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda to strengthen school safety.
“These include strengthening physical security through improved perimeter fencing, controlled access points and electronic surveillance; establishing community-based intelligence networks involving traditional rulers and host communities; expanding psychosocial support and trauma-informed counselling for students; and leveraging digital technology to ensure continuity of learning during emergencies,” she said.
The minister urged principals to conduct regular security assessments, organise safety drills, strengthen communication with security agencies and develop institution-specific emergency response plans.
She also called on school administrators to build transparent, inclusive and supportive learning environments that promote trust among students and staff.
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She assured the principals that the ministry would continue to prioritise their administrative welfare and mobilise resources to ensure that Federal Unity Colleges remained safe environments for learning.
Earlier, the Chairman of Principals of Federal Unity Colleges, Alhaji Shehu Dahiru, in his address, called for stronger government intervention to address insecurity, teacher shortages, inadequate funding and infrastructure deficits confronting the institutions.
Dahiru said security threats in some parts of the country had affected enrolment, attendance, staff morale, academic calendars and parents’ confidence in the affected schools.
He described school security as a collective responsibility involving principals, teachers, students, parents, host communities, traditional institutions, security agencies and government.
He appealed for stronger perimeter protection, access control, surveillance systems, emergency communication facilities, early-warning mechanisms and regular security drills.
The chairman also urged colleges, particularly those in vulnerable locations, to develop learning continuity plans incorporating digital and offline learning resources, alternative teaching arrangements, psychosocial support and academic recovery programmes.
Beyond security, Dahiru appealed for accelerated recruitment and professional development of teachers, particularly in science, technology, mathematics, English, technical and vocational subjects.
He also sought sustained funding for laboratories, workshops, ICT facilities, hostels, water, sanitation, electricity and routine maintenance, while drawing attention to staff welfare, feeding costs, health services and shortages of essential support personnel.
Dahiru commended the Federal Government’s education reforms, particularly the Technical and Vocational Education and Training programme, teacher professional development, digital learning, curriculum improvement and student welfare initiatives.
He pledged the principals’ commitment to translating government policies into measurable improvements across the colleges.
He further called for stronger collaboration among education authorities, security agencies, parents, traditional rulers, alumni associations, development partners and the private sector, insisting that protecting schools was essential to safeguarding Nigeria’s educational future.
