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80% of Nigeria’s Primary, Secondary Schools are not safe – Study

Published

7 years ago

August 31, 2019

A Safe School Compliant Study shows that 80 percent of primary and secondary schools in Nigeria are not safe.

The study was conducted by Safe School Academy International with the support of Exam Ethics Marshall International (EEMI) across the country.

Founder of EEMI, who is also the Coordinating Consultant, Safe School Compliance Study Group, Mr Ike Onyechere, made this disclosure on Saturday in Abuja.

He said that the study revealed that 80 per cent of primary and secondary schools in the country had little or lack protective, protocols and measures against security risks, threats and vulnerabilities.

The study, he said, noted that most primary and secondary schools lack preventive, precautionary and mitigation policies in terms of security.

According to him, the study involved the administration of a safe school compliant checklist, which sampled 1,200 schools selected from the six geo-political zones of the country.

“50 safe school factors are considered including knowledge of safe school best policies, practices and protocols by Proprietors and Heads of Schools; quality of safety and security tools, equipment and infrastructure.

“Others are capacity, fitness, and training of security personnel; identification systems for staff, students, parents, and visitors; security risk audit of the school in relation to the location

“The factors considered also included emergency preparedness plan in relation to peculiar security risk; first responders and emergency response teams.

“The level of non-compliance to safety and security issues is shocking against the background of clear, loud and regular warnings that schools are now targets of choice for terrorists, insurgents, militants, kidnappers, cultists, scammers and other criminals,” he said.

Onyechere explained that the 2018 UN reports on Children and Armed Conflicts confirmed that attacks on schools registered a rise in comparison to previous years.

He added that a report was also released by UNICEF on Aug. 21, which verified that 396 schools were under attack in African and Middle East countries.

“In Nigeria, terrorists, kidnappers, bandits and robbers regularly target schools threatening, kidnapping and killing students, teachers and other education personnel.

“The question then is why, despite all the warnings and incidences, are schools not taking the issue of safe schools initiative seriously?

“There are two core reasons, proprietors and heads do not appreciate their roles and responsibilities as Chief Security Officers of their institutions.

“They erroneously believe that the security of their institutions is the sole responsibility of governments and security agencies.

“The second reason is that parents have not started considering safety and security as important factors for choosing schools.

“Nigerians must commend the efforts of security agencies including the Nigeria Military, Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Federal Fire Service.

“They should also commend others, which include Federal Road Safety Corps and National Emergency Management Agency; without their work, attacks on schools and consequential casualties would have worsened,” he said.

He, however, commended the security agencies for facilitating the Annual National Safe School Consultative Conferences where education leaders and other stakeholders were brought together to learn from recent attacks on school around the world.

He charged educational institutions to take advantage of all opportunities to update their knowledge and build capacity for safe school best practices.

This, he said, was in view of the fact that in matters of safe school, preparedness through education is less expensive than learning through tragedies with irreversible consequences.

Onyechere further called on parents to prioritise the factor of safety and security in choosing schools for their children.

He said the Safe School Academy International would, therefore, commence the free distribution of Safe School Compliant Guide to parents through School PTAs to empower them with the knowledge of what safe school factors to look for in schools.

The 2019 edition of the Annual National School Conference aimed at addressing stakeholders on school based knowledge would hold between September 10 and September 12.

However, the first phase of the exercise for the free distribution of Safe School Compliant Guide to parents through School PTAs is scheduled to hold between Sept 4 and Sept 5.

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Eight Athletes, 11 Medals: Applauding Asagba’s Sports Leadership At DELSU

Published

1 week ago

October 14, 2026

The Gleamer

By Godspower Odedede

Delta State University (DELSU), Abraka, has recorded an impressive outing at the 15th West Africa University Games (WAUG) 2026, winning 11 medals with just eight athletes who represented the university in only three sporting events.

The university won seven gold, two silver and two bronze medals to occupy seventh position on the medal table, an achievement that underscores the potential of its athletes and the importance of purposeful investment in university sports.

DELSU participated in the men’s 100-metre sprint with two athletes, women’s judo with two athletes, and swimming with four male athletes. Despite the limited number of athletes and sporting events, the university’s medal haul was a commendable performance and a source of pride for the institution.

The achievement deserves particular recognition given the restricted scope of DELSU’s participation. With representation in only three sports, the university demonstrated that focused preparation, adequate support and the effective deployment of available talent can produce encouraging results at major university competitions.

A major highlight of DELSU’s preparation for WAUG 2026 was the approval by the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Samuel Ogheneovo Asagba, for a quality two-week training programme for the university’s athletes in Asaba.

The camp provided the athletes with an opportunity to prepare using the excellent and up-to-date training facilities available in the state capital.

The initiative is particularly noteworthy as it represents a significant commitment to structured preparation for university sports. Rather than relying solely on athletes’ natural abilities, the training programme recognised the importance of preparation, access to appropriate facilities and institutional investment in performance.

Professor Asagba deserves commendation for this intervention and for demonstrating a willingness to provide practical support for sports development at DELSU. The university’s WAUG performance offers an encouraging indication of what can be achieved when athletes receive purposeful preparation and administrative backing.

The Vice-Chancellor’s broader vision for sports infrastructure is also encouraging. Plans are understood to be underway for the construction of an ultra-modern sports complex for the university in the near future. If delivered as anticipated, the facility could significantly strengthen DELSU’s capacity for athlete development, training, competitions and sports science activities.

Such infrastructure would also support the university’s ambitions to improve its performance at national and international university games. A modern sports complex could provide a foundation for more systematic talent identification, performance monitoring, coaching development and the preparation of athletes across a wider range of sporting events.

Special recognition must also go to Mrs Epebi-Ebi Noah, the swimming coach, who was physically present at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, with the DELSU swimming team during the competition. Her presence and involvement underline the importance of coaching support, technical guidance and close supervision of athletes during major sporting events.

The performance also calls for commendation of the Chairman of the University Sports Committee, Professor Ochuko Nabofa, whose leadership has brought renewed attention and energy to sports development at DELSU. His role in supporting the university’s sports administration and helping to strengthen the sporting environment deserves recognition.

Similarly, the Acting Director of Sports, Peter Omojuwa, deserves commendation for his administrative responsibilities and contribution to the university’s sporting programme. The Chief Coach, Lucky Ajaino, should also be recognised for his role in the technical preparation and development of DELSU athletes.

The combined efforts of the university management, sports committee, sports administrators and coaches are essential to sustaining progress. While medals provide a visible measure of success, the systems established to prepare athletes and support their development are equally important to the long-term growth of university sports.

DELSU’s WAUG achievement follows another notable outing at the last Nigeria University Games Association (NUGA) Games, where the university finished fourth. That result was regarded as one of the finest performances in the institution’s sporting history and strengthened expectations that DELSU could become an even more formidable force in university sports.

The latest WAUG performance provides another reason for optimism. However, the university’s participation in only three events also reveals an opportunity for further growth. Expanding participation across more sports, identifying talented students and improving access to specialised training could help DELSU compete for a higher position on future medal tables.

The proposed sports complex, if realised, could play a central role in this expansion. It should ideally be supported by sustained funding, modern equipment, qualified coaches, athlete welfare programmes and collaboration with relevant sports science professionals. These measures would help ensure that infrastructure investment translates into measurable improvements in performance.

The university could also consider strengthening performance analysis, sports medicine, strength and conditioning, talent identification and systematic monitoring of athletes’ progress. Such an approach would help transform individual successes into a sustainable university-wide sports development programme.

DELSU’s performance at WAUG 2026 is worthy of celebration. Eight athletes competed in just three sporting events and returned with 11 medals, including seven gold. The result reflects the potential within the university and provides a strong basis for building a more ambitious sports programme.

Professor Asagba’s approval of the two-week training camp and the prospect of an ultra-modern sports complex offer reasons to look forward to the next phase of DELSU sports development. The challenge now is to sustain the momentum, broaden participation and ensure that the university’s sporting ambitions are matched by consistent investment and effective implementation.

With continued support from the Vice-Chancellor, the University Sports Committee, the Directorate of Sports, coaches and other stakeholders, DELSU can build on its recent achievements and strengthen its position among Nigeria’s leading sporting universities.

The message from WAUG 2026 is clear: DELSU has demonstrated what a small but well-supported contingent can achieve. With broader participation, sustained preparation and modern sporting infrastructure, the university has the potential to accomplish even greater things.

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