The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) are poised to formalise a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at enhancing the safety and security of students and staff across tertiary institutions.
 
Executive Secretary of the Fund, Sonny Echono, an architect, stated this in Abuja when he played host to the NSCDC leadership, led by its Commandant General, Prof. Ahmed Audi. 
 
Echono, who acknowledged the central role of Civil Defence in addressing security issues in tertiary institutions, underscored the need for including them in disbursement guidelines for security agencies. 
 
The proposed partnership, according to the Executive Secretary, is part of TETFund’s broader commitment to creating a secure and conducive learning environment that supports academic excellence and institutional stability. 
 
He noted that security challenges within and around campuses have made it imperative for relevant agencies to work collaboratively, stressing that proactive engagement with the NSCDC would help in intelligence gathering, emergency response and the protection of critical educational infrastructure.
 
He said the Fund’s management views security not merely as a policing matter, but as a structural issue closely linked to the sustainability of educational outcomes. 
  
Echono noted that security is a sector where much of the effort happens behind the scenes, with achievements often going unnoticed, even as lapses are quickly amplified across society. He also recognised the enduring but largely unheralded partnership between education stakeholders and security agencies, especially within the framework of the Safe Schools Initiative. 
 
The TETFund boss drew attention to the inclusion of security as a distinct thematic focus within the National Research Fund granting committee, while also urging greater collaboration in developing solutions to the country’s security challenges. 
 
He said: “The issue of security is so important to us at the Fund, and indeed to the entire education sector.

And again, I want to use this opportunity to thank you for your service. I thank you for the wonderful work you are doing to try and find ways of securing our schools. The Safe School Initiative was a key element, where we also try to garner and mobilise support. 
 
“So, we want to assure the Nigerian people and all our tertiary institutions that what they are seeing today is the beginning of concerted efforts that we will collaborate with the NSCDC to try and take measures to guarantee the safety of the young men, women, the lecturers and those who are trying to provide education for our children throughout all our tertiary educational institutions in the country.” 
 
Earlier, the Commandant General of the NSCDC, Prof. Ahmed Audi, emphasised the importance of a structured collaboration between the Corps and TETFund, particularly in the training and capacity development of private security personnel responsible for internal security in tertiary institutions. 
 
He noted that strengthening the skills and professionalism of these guards would significantly enhance safety on campuses and complement the efforts of public security agencies.
 
Audi explained that the NSCDC currently operates six accredited training institutions across the country, dedicated to equipping private security guards with the requisite knowledge, discipline and operational competence. These facilities, he said, play a critical role in preparing guards deployed to tertiary institutions, ensuring they are adequately trained to handle routine security duties and emerging threats. 
 
Audi added that a formal partnership with TETFund would help standardise training programmes, improve oversight and provide sustained support for capacity building within the sector. 
 
According to him, such collaboration would lead to better coordination, adherence to best practices and a more robust security framework capable of safeguarding students, staff and infrastructure across Nigeria’s tertiary education system.