Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna state has decried the over 200,000 drop in primary school enrolment in the state due to activities of bandits and kidnappers, saying it has disrupted socio-economic activities in affected communities and threatens his educational revitalisation program.
Addressing a capacity building programme organised by the Nigeria Police Force Schools Protection Squad in Kaduna on Wednesday with the theme: “Strengthening Security Resilience and Integration of Host Communities in the Protection of Education”, Sani said the state is facing a crisis of declining enrolment, with over 200,000 fewer primary school pupils recorded in the 2022/2023 academic session compared to the previous year, from 2,111,969 in 2021/2022 to 1,734,704 in 2022/2023, largely due to insecurity.
The governor, who was represented by his Chief of Staff, Sani Liman Kila, said insecurity has forced school consolidation in many councils like Chikun, Birnin Gwari, Kajuru, Giwa, and Igabi, further pushing up the number of out-of-school children.
“incidents like the kidnapping of 135 students from the LEA Primary and Junior Secondary School, Kuriga, tragically illustrates the devastating impact of insecurity on education access and safety. To ensure that the education of children in conflict-prone and terrorist-infested areas is not interrupted, our administration has commenced the merging of 359 schools with those in safe locations.
“I commend the Federal Government for launching the N144.8 billion Safe Schools Financing Plan in 2022. The plan was developed through rigorous consultative strategic engagements with all relevant stakeholders in the education and security sectors, at national and sub-national levels. We are collaborating with the Nigeria Police Force, which is currently training a Schools Protection Squad (SPS). We have made adequate budgetary provisions for the effective implementation of our Safe School Program to strengthen security in our primary and secondary schools.
“In recognition of the fact that our main weapon against terrorists, bandits, and insurgents are the people because these criminal elements live among them, Kaduna state government has developed a framework for psychological operation, aimed at winning the hearts and minds of the people. To renew the confidence of our people and restart the process of rebuilding local economies, we must assist security forces and our people to acquire new skill sets. Managing risks, investing in resilience, and responding to shocks when they occur is a shared responsibility of all,” he said.
The Commissioner of Police, Kaduna state command, CP Audu Ali Dabigi, said the establishment of the School Protection Squad signifies a monumental step towards ensuring the safety and security of educational institutions, which is the bedrock of our society.
The CP explained that it is a testament to a collective commitment to safeguard the future of children and foster an environment conducive to learning and development.
“Together, with the support of our community stakeholders, we can overcome any challenge and create a safer, more secure environment for our students, teachers, and staff. I urge every one of us to embrace the mission of the School Protection Squad wholeheartedly and to work tirelessly towards its success. Together, we can make a difference and ensure that every child in Kaduna state has the opportunity to pursue his/her education in a safe and secure environment,” he said.
National Coordinator of the SAFE Schools Program, Halima Iliya, said, “what we are witnessing today is the implementation of the National Plan on Financing Safe Schools (2023-2026). The Plan has a total investment of N144.8 billion and the Federal Government has released N15 billion in 2023, to the implementing agencies; Federal Ministry of Education, Nigeria Police, NSCDC, DSS, and Defense Headquarters. Federal Government is committed to ensuring funding is available for full implementation of the National Plan.
“Objective of the plan is to build security resilience in host communities, strengthen detection, deterrence, and response capabilities of security personnel, to integrate host communities into an early warning, and intelligence gathering, amongst others. The implementation is in phases starting with most at risk states, which Kaduna state is among the pilot states, faced with the recent kidnap of over 100 pupils by non-state actors in Kuriga community. I would like to commend the Inspector General of Police who has taken proactive measures by establishing the Safe Schools Squad and deployed them cross the country.”
