Sustainable protection of schools, learners and teachers amid growing security concerns will be the focus of the seventh annual summit of the Education Writers’ Association of Nigeria, EWAN, scheduled for Wednesday in Lagos.
The summit, themed “Schools Under Threat: From Reactive Responses to Sustainable Protection,” will feature Inspector-General of Police Tunji Disu as keynote speaker, alongside the National Coordinator of Financing Safe Schools in Nigeria, Halima Iliya, and other education and security stakeholders.
The event will hold at 10 a.m. at The Providence Hotel, GRA, Lagos, with the Chairman of the Governing Board of the National Universities Commission and former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Professor Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, as chairman.
Other speakers include Lagos State Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Jamiu Alli-Balogun; Executive Director of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism, Motunrayo Alaka; National President of the All Nigeria Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools, Robert Okorie; and National President of the Nigeria Union of Teachers, Comrade Audu Titus.
Discussions will centre on preventive measures, early warning systems, emergency response, community engagement and the support required by education workers before, during and after security incidents. Participants will also examine how schools can sustain teaching and learning when insecurity disrupts academic activities.
The summit will consider the role of the media in exposing gaps in school protection, sustaining public attention on safety concerns and reporting security incidents responsibly.
EWAN Chairman, Mojeed Alabi, said school safety must go beyond emergency responses after attacks to include clear plans, adequate funding and preparedness.
“Each attack on a school affects more than the people caught in it. It leaves teachers afraid, parents uncertain and learners at risk of losing access to education,” Alabi said.
He added that schools should have functional emergency plans, adequately prepared teachers and clear procedures for obtaining help before threats escalate into emergencies.
The summit is expected to bring together policymakers, security personnel, education professionals, researchers, development practitioners and civil society representatives to discuss practical approaches to protecting school communities.
EWAN is a network of professional education correspondents from print, broadcast and digital media organisations across Nigeria. Its annual summit provides a platform for public discussion of critical education issues, with previous editions focusing on examination integrity, basic education, school safety, research, electricity supply in the education sector and the emphasis on certificates over practical skills.