The Federal Government has urged principals of 117 Federal Unity Colleges across the country to strengthen partnerships with host communities, traditional rulers, youth organisations and other local stakeholders to improve intelligence-sharing and prevent security threats in schools.
The Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Said Ahmad, stated this at the 2026 Annual General Meeting (AGM) of Principals of Federal Unity Colleges in Abuja, under the theme, “Nigerian Schools in the Midst of Insecurity:
Building Safe, Resilient and Sustainable Learning Environments.”
Ahmad said effective school security could not be achieved through government policies and the deployment of security personnel alone, stressing that principals must establish functional relationships with communities surrounding their institutions.
She said community-based intelligence was one of the four strategic pillars being pursued by the ministry to strengthen institutional safety and protect students and teachers against banditry, insurgency, kidnapping and other security threats.
“True institutional security cannot exist in a vacuum. A school must be organically connected to its host community. We expect every principal here to cultivate functional, ongoing partnerships with local traditional rulers, community leaders, youth organisations and civilian groups.
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“When the community feels a deep sense of ownership over a Unity College, they become the first line of defence in identifying and neutralising potential threats before they reach the school gates,” she added.
The principals, she said, must also establish effective communication channels with security agencies, organise regular safety drills for students and staff, and ensure prompt reporting of credible threats.
Earlier, the Chairman of Principals of Federal Unity Colleges, Alhaji Shehu Dahiru, said school security was a collective responsibility requiring the involvement of principals, teachers, students, parents, host communities, traditional institutions, security agencies and development partners.
Dahiru said schools needed stronger perimeter protection, access control, adequate lighting, surveillance systems, emergency communication channels, early-warning mechanisms and regular security drills.
He also called for a coordinated national mechanism for learning continuity, particularly for colleges in vulnerable locations, to ensure that security-related disruptions did not permanently interrupt students’ education.
“We must build a security system in which every stakeholder understands their role in protecting our schools. No institution can guarantee the safety of its students in isolation. The protection of our schools is an investment in education, national development and the future of Nigerian children,” he said.
