2,295 teachers killed, 19,000 displaced in 9 years —NSCDC
Commandant-General, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, Dr. Abubakar Audi, yesterday, disclosed that no fewer than 2,295 teachers were killed between 2009 and 2018, while 19,000 others were displaced.
This came as the Federal Government unveiled the National Safe Schools Response Coordination Centre, as part of measures to stave off attacks on schools across the country.
Speaking at the launch of the centre, which is domiciled at the NSCDC National Headquarters, Audi, said: “Statistics, however, show that about 2,295 teachers have been killed and 19,000 others displaced in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states between 2009 and 2018 alone while an estimate of 1,500 schools had been destroyed since 2014, with over 1,280 casualties among teachers and students.
“These violent attacks have negative effects on teaching and learning, thereby reversing our sustainable national development efforts.”
He said in view of the importance of education and human capital development to the overall national development, it had become expedient for the Federal Government to deploy extraordinary measures to tackle the spate of attacks on school facilities in Nigeria.
“Accordingly, in the consideration for a multi-sectoral working group, the NSCDC has been made the lead agency with the mandate to host the National Safe Schools Response and Coordination Centre.
“Following this responsibility, I immediately convened a technical committee composed of personnel of the NSCDC and consultants to develop strategies for the effective and efficient implementation of the National Plan on Safe Schools across the country.
“The committee has been working assiduously towards the production of a Standard Operating Procedure, SOP, for this national project.
“Soon after the national flag-off ceremony, we shall immediately initiate the various processes leading to the stakeholders’ workshop to validate the Standard Operating Procedure for this project to allow for smooth operations of the National Safe Schools Programme in Nigeria.
“Consequently, capacity building programmes for programme coordinators at the state levels and sub-national levels will commence alongside with programmes that will target the psycho-social care of various communities as already identified from the results of vulnerability studies conducted earlier,” he said.
Also speaking, Minister of State, Budget and National Planning, Prince Clem Agba, said: “Proactive strategies are the keys to safe schools by focusing on a balanced approach to prevention, intervention, security and emergency preparedness, combined with improving school safety communications, school climate, psychological support services, and meaningful relationships with public organisations with interest in safety.”
According to him, the Federal government has already committed to the financing of safe schools through the National Plan on Financing Safe Schools.
Vanguard
