Okiro’s school security blueprint resurfaces amid renewed wave of attacks on educational institutions

A school security initiative developed over a decade ago by former Inspector-General of Police, Sir Mike Okiro, is gaining renewed national attention as Nigeria grapples with a fresh surge in attacks on schools and the abduction of students in several parts of the country.

The initiative, originally introduced in 2012 under the name “Securing Our Children” and later rebranded as the “Save Our Children Project,” was designed as a preventive framework to strengthen safety in schools through structured security awareness, training, and institutional safeguards.

At the time of its conception, Nigeria was facing growing threats from terrorism, militancy, and banditry, with increasing cases of attacks targeting educational facilities. The programme sought to address these risks by promoting security consciousness among students, teachers, and school administrators, while also introducing practical measures for emergency preparedness and response.

Okiro, who was credited with playing a key role in the disarmament of Niger Delta militants during the administration of the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, had consistently argued that many casualties from violent incidents could be prevented through early warning systems and sustained security education within schools.

A major pillar of the proposal was a nationwide train-the-trainer model, under which selected teachers and school administrators would undergo specialised security awareness training and subsequently transfer the knowledge to students within their respective institutions.

The blueprint also recommended the establishment of dedicated school security units tasked with monitoring threats, enhancing protection around school environments, and ensuring swift response in emergency situations.

Its broader objectives included fostering personal safety awareness among young people, reducing vulnerability during security incidents, encouraging civic responsibility and vigilance, and developing a network of security-conscious students capable of providing intelligence for early intervention.

Through the Security Awareness and Justice Foundation, Okiro formally submitted the proposal to the Federal Ministry of Education in September 2012, seeking institutional partnership and national adoption. While the initiative was widely acknowledged as timely and forward-looking, its implementation was slowed by bureaucratic delays and administrative constraints.

A major breakthrough came in 2018 when the Federal Ministry of Education, under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, formally endorsed the project. The endorsement was announced by then Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, who also inaugurated a Central Working Committee to drive its implementation.

At the inauguration in Abuja, Adamu highlighted the growing insecurity in parts of the country, warning that fears of attacks were already affecting school enrolment, prompting withdrawals of students, and discouraging teachers from accepting postings in high-risk areas. He described the initiative as a necessary intervention and called for broad stakeholder support.

The project was originally planned for rollout in 103 Federal Unity Colleges before being expanded nationwide. However, despite official endorsement and the establishment of a coordinating committee, implementation stalled due to funding challenges and administrative bottlenecks.

In recent months, however, renewed attacks on schools and the abduction of students have revived public debate around the policy. Analysts note that many of the risks identified in the original 2012 proposal remain prevalent, with some areas now experiencing even more frequent and coordinated assaults on educational institutions.

The resurgence of interest has also been reinforced by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s recent directives to security agencies to intensify protection of schools and strengthen nationwide safeguarding measures for students and staff.

Security experts and education stakeholders are increasingly of the view that the Save Our Children Project could serve as a practical framework to complement ongoing government interventions, particularly in enhancing preparedness and community-based security awareness.

With insecurity continuing to disrupt education in several regions, calls are growing for policymakers to revisit and possibly revive Okiro’s long-standing blueprint—an initiative its proponents argue was designed far ahead of its time in anticipating Nigeria’s current security realities.