Stakeholders in the security, education, and media sectors have called for an immediate and fundamental paradigm shift in Nigeria’s approach to school safety, warning that the continuous targeting of educational institutions across the country poses a severe threat to national development and the future of Nigerian children.

Speaking at the seventh yearly summit of the Education Writers’ Association of Nigeria (EWAN) held in Lagos, key speakers underscored the urgent necessity of moving away from post-incident reactive measures toward proactive, preventive strategies anchored on intelligence gathering, early-warning mechanisms, and multi-stakeholder collaboration.

The summit, themed “Schools Under Threat: From Reactive Responses to Sustainable Protection,” brought together security officials, academic leaders, school administrators, civil society organisations, and journalists to address the escalating vulnerabilities of learning institutions across the federation.

The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Olatunji Disu, in his keynote address, said safeguarding educational institutions must no longer be treated solely as the responsibility of school proprietors or security forces, but as an essential national security imperative.

The IGP, represented by the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Tijani Fatai, stated that the impact of security breaches extends far beyond the immediate victims of attacks.

He, however, encouraged administrators, teachers, parents, and residents to promptly report suspicious movements through verified channels.

Disu further charged the leadership of EWAN to sustain the discourse beyond the yearly gathering by formulating actionable recommendations, fostering inter-agency networks, and holding policymakers accountable to safety commitments.

Chairman of the occasion and Chairman of the Governing Board of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, called on federal, state, and local councils to establish a unified national framework dedicated to schools’ protection.

Ogundipe, the former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), was represented at the event by the Dean of the Faculty of Education (UNILAG), Prof. Joseph Awoyinfa.

He pointed out that recurring abductions, armed raids, and extortion targeting learning environments are not isolated events, but a systemic pattern undermining national stability and leaving entire communities traumatised.

In his welcome address, EWAN Chairman, Mojeed Alabi, challenged media practitioners to elevate their coverage from routine event reporting to investigative and accountability journalism.

Alabi said that media organisations must scrutinise government budgets allocated for schools’ safety, trace project implementations, and monitor whether official security recommendations are put into practice or abandoned.