April 14-15, 2024, makes it exactly 10 years when Nigerians were woken up by the toxic news of the abduction of about 300 school girls from Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State, by the Boko Haram group, simply because they were girls, who wish for educational empowerment and who were Christians,
It was the first of its kind experience of massive abduction of vulnerable school children in Nigeria and it elicited commensurate rage and passion from citizens as well as global outcry. In response, was the birth of the Safe School Initiative, SSI, as part of efforts to ensure that children in conflict areas or affected by insecurity continue their education.
The SSI arose following a series of terror attacks on schools and abduction of school children in 2014, Nigeria, causing former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, as UN Special Envoy on Global Education, and then Nigerian Finance Minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, to float the Initiative which then drew widespread global endorsement.
The Safe School Initiative is a collaborative effort by school, Community and special measures to protect Nigerian students while in school.
Ironically, according to UNICEF, since 2014, there have been over 2,400 incidents of grave violations verified, affecting over 6,800 children in the north-east. The most common violations are recruitment or use of children by armed groups with 700 verified cases, followed by abductions of children, with 693 incidents, and killing and maiming, with 675 incidents.
Additionally, the Teachers’ Registration Council of Nigeria (TCN) reports that, between 2009 and 2022, around 2,295 teachers were reportedly killed in attacks, over 19,000 teachers were displaced, more than 1,500 schools closed because of insecurity, and 910 schools were destroyed.
All these impact negatively on education in the country, with repercussions that will likely affect generations to come especially in the high risk States of; Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Niger, Kaduna, Zamfara, Katsina, Kebbi, Jigawa, Sokoto, FCT, Plateau, Benue, Taraba, Kogi and Bauchi.
One is prompted to ask; How far has the Initiative met its objectives after so much commitments in terms of funds, personnel and time, or, has it gone down the drain the way other Initiatives and germane policies often do – Too much talk, no action.
The Government of Nigeria launched the Safe Schools Fund as an initial response with a contribution from the Federal Government of US$10 Million and another US$10 Million pledge from the Private Sector. The Safe Schools Fund is managed by the Ministry of Finance. This national Fund is expected to be complemented by the establishment of the Nigeria Safe Schools Initiative Multi-Donor Trust Fund (MDTF), for UN support, co-financing and implementation of activities pertaining to the Initiative.
Ironically if not unfortunately, the 2024 budget made no provision for the Initiative (though impacts of funds so far committed are yet to be felt) hence Nigeria’s development partners are worried and wondering how they would come in to assist again when there is nothing on ground. This is demonstration of lack of commitment.
Truth is that since the 2014 Chibok Girls experience and the introduction of the SSI, abductions of school children has persisted and indeed increased. Few weeks ago, about 287 pupils were abducted from a LEA Primary school in Kuriga in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
In a related development, bandits reportedly struck in Gidan Bakuso in Gada Local Government Area of Sokoto State, abducting about 15 Tsangaya students, with several others missing.
School children abduction has becomes a recurring decimal in and around the north east geopolitical divide of Nigeria prompting the question: what has happened to the safety school initiative.
It was indeed heartwarming hearing the new Commandant of National Safe School Response Coordination Center, NSSRCC, Cdr Hameed Abodurin assure Nigerians earlier in the year that school children and their teachers will soon be duly educated on how to detect danger and protect themselves.
The expectation of Nigerians is a demonstration of these claims. This is 10 years after Chibok and 10 years after the adoption of the safe school initiative and rather than abate, school children abduction has continued to be on the increase and there is strong suspicion that the abductors are within and the abducted children are also within implying that, the security agencies or the nation lack the political will to touch these untouchables, what more, when a leader in this country gives the impression that he can be the go between and even invited Mr. President to meet and negotiate with them. It is possible there is more to the safe school challenge, than the government is telling the citizens. We want positive response and actions. No more stories.
