The Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, will deliver the keynote address at the seventh annual summit of the Education Writers’ Association of Nigeria (EWAN), focusing on strategies to strengthen school safety amid growing security concerns.
The summit, themed “Schools Under Threat: From Reactive Responses to Sustainable Protection,” is scheduled for Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. at The Providence Hotel, GRA, Lagos.
It will bring together policymakers, security experts, education stakeholders and civil society representatives to discuss practical measures to protect learners, teachers and school facilities while ensuring continuity of education during security disruptions.
The Chairman of the Governing Board of the National Universities Commission and former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Professor Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, will chair the event.
Other speakers include the National Coordinator of Financing Safe Schools in Nigeria, Halima Iliya; Lagos State Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Jamiu Alli-Balogun; and the Executive Director of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism, Motunrayo Alaka.
Also expected are the National President of the All Nigeria Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools, Robert Okorie, and the National President of the Nigeria Union of Teachers, Comrade Audu Titus.
Discussions will focus on preventive security measures, early warning systems, emergency response, community participation and support for education workers before, during and after security incidents.
The summit will also examine the media’s role in exposing weaknesses in school protection, sustaining public attention and ensuring responsible reporting of security incidents.
Explaining the choice of theme, EWAN Chairman, Mojeed Alabi, said school safety must go beyond emergency responses after attacks, requiring sustained planning, adequate funding and effective preparedness.
He noted that attacks on schools affect not only victims but also leave teachers fearful, parents uncertain and learners at risk of losing access to education.
According to him, schools must have functional emergency plans, adequately prepared teachers and reliable mechanisms for securing assistance before threats escalate into emergencies.
Alabi added that the theme was particularly relevant as insecurity continues to challenge education communities’ efforts to protect lives and sustain teaching and learning.
EWAN is a network of professional education correspondents working across print, broadcast and digital media organisations in Nigeria. Its annual summit provides a platform for discussing critical education issues and promoting informed public debate.
Previous editions have examined public examination integrity, basic education, school safety, research for national development, electricity supply in the education sector and the emphasis on certificates over practical skills.
SOURCE: TRADE FM
