Governor of Kaduna State, Uba Sani, has lamented that the educational system in the state is facing crisis as a result of insecurity.
Speaking on Wednesday in Kaduna, at a capacity training programme organised by the Nigeria Police Force Schools Protection Squad, Sani said school enrolment in Kaduna has declined because insecurity.
He said in several Local Government Areas, insecurity has forced school consolidation, further pushing up the number of out-of-school children.
The governor said incidents like the recent kidnapping of 135 students from the LEA Primary and Junior Secondary School, Kuriga, Chikun LGA tragically illustrates the devastating impact of insecurity on access to education and safety in the state.
According to him, no nation can achieve its human capital development goals and make giant developmental strides if it fails to guarantee the safety and security of schools.
Sani said, “Kaduna is one of the states that has been waging a sustained battle against banditry, terrorism, kidnapping and other forms of criminality.
“These non – state actors have disrupted socio – economic activities in the affected communities and are threatening our educational revitalization programme. “Kaduna State’s educational system is facing a crisis of declining enrolment, with over 200,000 fewer primary school pupils recorded in the 2022/2023 academic session compared to the previous year.
“This dramatic drop (from 2,111,969 in 2021/2022 to 1,734,704 in 2022/2023) is largely attributed to insecurity.
“In several Local Government Areas (LGAs) particularly Chikun, Birnin Gwari, Kajuru, Giwa, and Igabi insecurity has forced school consolidation, further pushing up the number of out-of-school children.
“Incidents like the kidnapping of 135 students from the LEA Primary and Junior Secondary School, Kuriga, Chikun Local Government tragically illustrates the devastating impact of insecurity on education access and safety.
“To ensure that the education of our children in conflicts-prone and terrorists infested areas is not interrupted, we have commenced the merging of 359 schools with those in safe locations.
“We are also implementing our SAFE SCHOOL PROGRAM to strengthen the security in our primary and secondary schools.
“We are collaborating with the Nigeria Police Force which is currently training a Schools Protection Squad (SPS)”
The governor added that adequate budgetary provision for effective implementation of our Safe School Program had been made.
He said the state government has adopted some measures to protect schools.
Some of the measures, according to him, include, fencing of schools, establishment of Security and Safety Response Committees with membership drawn from
schools and communities,
deployment of Kaduna Vigilance Service (KADVS) to schools, provision of emergency line to schools and security management training for School Managers among others.
Sani commended the federal government for the N144.8b Safe Schools Financing Plan which was launched in 2022.
He noted that the plan was developed through rigorous consultations and strategic engagements with all relevant stakeholders in the education and security sectors, at national and sub-national levels.
“It is gratifying to note that in furtherance of this plan, the Inspector General of Police, IGP Olukayode Egbetokun has established the Schools Protection Squad (SPS), a proactive initiative aimed at enhancing security and safety in educational institutions across Nigeria”, the governor said.
Also in her remarks at the occasion, National Coordinator on Safe Schools Programme, Halima Iliya, said the federal government in consultation and collaboration with states, Local Governments and critical agencies of government, including the military and other security agencies have developed a Medium Term National Plan on Financing Safe Schools (2023-2026).
She said the plan which adopts said encompass society approach to safe schools, commenced full
implementation in 2023 with the flagged off of the first Safe Schools Response Coordination Centre expected to be replicated in all states for swift response and dissemination of information.
“What we are witnessing today is the implementation of the National Plan on Financing Safe Schools (2023-2026).
“The plan has total investment of N144.8billion and the Federal Government has released N15billion in 2023, to the implementing agencies.
“These agencies are Federal Ministry of Education, Nigeria Police, NSCDC, DSS and Defense Headquarters”, she said.
Iliya assured that the federal government is committed to ensuring that funding is available for full implementation of the National Plan”, Iliya said.
According to her, the objectives of the plan is to build security resillence host communities, strengthened detection, deterrence and response capabilities of security personnel to integrate host communifies into security architecture, early warning and intelligence gathering, amongst others.
“The implementation is in phases starting with Most at Risk States, which Kaduna State is considered to be among the pilot states, faced with recent kidnapped of over 100 pupils by non- state actors in Kuriga Community.
“I would like to commend the
Inspector General of Police Kayode Ebetokun who has taken proactive measure by establishing the Safe Schools Squad and are deployed across the country”, she said.
By John Shiklam in Kaduna
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