The Federal Government has approved ₦15 billion for the implementation of the Safe Schools Programme in 2026 as part of efforts to improve security in educational institutions across Nigeria.
The National Coordinator of Financing Safe Schools in Nigeria, Halima Iliya, disclosed the approval on Wednesday during the seventh annual summit of the Education Writers Association of Nigeria in Lagos.
She explained that the programme was designed to strengthen security around schools and improve the ability of communities to identify and respond to potential threats.
According to Iliya, the initiative includes mapping vulnerable areas, training relevant personnel and improving cooperation between security agencies and communities.
The programme was established following the 2014 abduction of 276 schoolgirls from Chibok, Borno State, which drew national and international attention to the security challenges facing Nigerian schools.
Iliya said the government had begun implementing measures under the approved funding and called on state governments to support the initiative through their own budgets.
She also emphasised the importance of involving parents, teachers, community members and local security structures in protecting educational institutions.
Meanwhile, education stakeholders at the summit urged journalists to monitor how funds allocated to school security are spent and assess whether the measures announced by authorities are producing meaningful results.
The latest approval places renewed focus on the need to make schools safer and ensure that students can pursue their education without fear of insecurity.
