The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Tunji Disu, will deliver the keynote address at the seventh annual summit of the Education Writers’ Association of Nigeria (EWAN), focusing on sustainable school safety.
The summit, scheduled for October 14 in Lagos, will explore strategies to protect learners, teachers and school facilities while ensuring continuity of education amid security challenges.
EWAN Chairman, Mojeed Alabi, disclosed this in a statement issued on Monday in Lagos.
According to him, the summit will bring together policymakers, security experts, education stakeholders and media practitioners to discuss practical solutions to threats facing schools.
The event, themed “Schools Under Threat: From Reactive Responses to Sustainable Protection”, will highlight the need to move beyond emergency responses towards preventive measures, adequate funding and coordinated security planning.
“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 stressed that school safety must be treated as a continuous responsibility, supported by clear plans, adequate resources and personnel equipped to identify warning signs and respond effectively.
“We cannot wait until an incident occurs before asking whether a school has an emergency plan, whether teachers are prepared, or whether help can reach those at risk,” he said.
Alabi said discussions at the summit would cover preparedness, early warning systems, emergency response, community engagement and support for education workers before, during and after security incidents.
He added that participants would examine the role of the media in exposing gaps in school protection, sustaining public attention and reporting security incidents responsibly.
According to him, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, Chairman of the Governing Board of the National Universities Commission (NUC) and immediate past Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos, would chair the occasion.
Other speakers expected at the summit include Halima Iliya, National Coordinator of Financing Safe Schools in Nigeria; Jamiu Alli-Balogun, Lagos State Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education; and Motunrayo Alaka, Executive Director of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism.
Also expected are Robert Okorie, National President of the All Nigeria Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPSS), and Audu Titus, National President of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT).
READ ALSO: NAF Airstrike Kills Over 40 ISWAP Fighters, Destroys Terrorists’ Hideout in Born
“Their contributions are expected to link government policy and financing with the practical challenges of protecting school communities and ensuring accountability for safety commitments,” Alabi said.
He added that the summit was open to policymakers, security personnel, education professionals, researchers, development practitioners and civil society representatives.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that EWAN is a network of professional education correspondents working across print, broadcast and digital media organisations in Nigeria.
Its annual summit provides a platform for informed public debate on critical education issues. Previous editions have examined examination integrity, basic education, school safety and research for national development.
