Nigeria’s Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, is expected to deliver the keynote address at the seventh annual summit of the Education Writers’ Association of Nigeria (EWAN), which will focus on strengthening security in schools.
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 examine strategies for protecting learners, teachers and school facilities, improving emergency preparedness and ensuring continuity of education when insecurity disrupts school activities.
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 expected at the summit include the National Coordinator of Financing Safe Schools in Nigeria, Halima Iliya; Lagos State Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Jamiu Alli-Balogun; and Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer 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, Audu Titus.
Their contributions are expected to connect government policies and funding arrangements with the practical challenges of protecting schools and ensuring accountability for safety commitments.
Discussions will cover preventive measures, early-warning systems, emergency response, community engagement and support for education workers before, during and after security incidents.
The summit will also consider the media’s role in exposing gaps in school protection, sustaining public attention and reporting security incidents responsibly.
EWAN calls for sustained school protection
Explaining the choice of theme, EWAN Chairman Mojeed Alabi said school safety required more than emergency responses after attacks had occurred.
“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 protecting schools required continuous commitment, clear plans, adequate funding and personnel capable of responding when warning signs emerged.
According to him, schools should not have to wait for an incident before assessing whether they have emergency plans, adequately prepared teachers and reliable access to assistance.
“These questions need answers before an emergency, and the answers must translate into practical protection,” he said.
The summit is open to policymakers, security personnel, education professionals, researchers, development practitioners and civil society representatives.
Previous editions addressed key education issues
EWAN is a network of professional education correspondents working with print, broadcast and digital media organisations across Nigeria. Its annual summit provides a platform for discussing major 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 growing emphasis on certificates over practical skills.
Past keynote speakers and distinguished participants have included the Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of the National Examinations Council, Professor Dantani Ibrahim Wushishi; former Nigerian Permanent Delegate to UNESCO, Ambassador Michael Omolewa; former Minister of Education, Professor Chinwe Obaji; and the Commandant-General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Dr Ahmed Abubakar Audi.
Others include Professor Ogundipe and former NUC Executive Secretary, Professor Peter Okebukola. Dr Yusuf Tanko Sununu, formerly Minister of State for Education and now Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, has also attended the annual event.
The seventh summit is expected to advance discussions on how government agencies, school administrators, security organisations, communities and the media can work together to make schools safer while protecting access to education.
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