AHEAD of resumption of schools nationwide, the Commandant General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps(NSCDC), Dr Ahmed Abubakar Audi, has restated the determination of the Corps to protect schools in the country.
He said the special squad created for the purpose of the “Special Safe Schools Response Squad (SSSRS),” will undertake regular patrols and respond to distress calls alongside response units of other relevant agencies as might be directed by the commander of the Safe Schools Response Coordination Centre.
Audi spoke in his remark delivered at the flag off of two-day training workshop for Safe Schools Instructors and Facilitators with the theme, ‘Building Capacities for Safe Schools Instructors’ at the headquarters of the Corps in Abuja.
The CG was represented by the second-in-Command and Deputy Commandant General, Dr Namdi Nwinyi, who is in charge of crisis and disaster management, tasked the 92 participants to cascade the training down the ladder for the success of the National Safe Schools project.
Audi said the workshop was designed by the National Safe Schools Response Coordination Centre (NSSRCC) to develop the capacity of instructors and facilitators for the Safe School Training programmes.
He added that the centre had designed series of training programmes to develop capacity of stakeholders at different levels and categories to be able to provide protection for schools and host communities,
“This workshop is therefore a train-the-trainer workshop, intended to enhance your competencies as instructors,” he said.
He noted that the National Plan on Safe Schools in Nigeria is a programme developed by government to mobilise synergy among security agencies and to build security resilience of other relevant stakeholders towards enhancing protection of schools and host communities against violence and attacks; and that the centre was established to coordinate responses towards this direction.
According to him, some of the responsibilities of the centre include advocacy, awareness creation and capacity development of stakeholders.
“The centre occupies the position of pacesetter and cannot afford to tolerate poor performance. It is in light of this that the programme has brought on board the best of both security and other relevant professionals to sharpen your thoughts and knowledge so that you can also pass the baton of knowledge to those operating closer to where the service is needed.
“It is therefore hoped that at the end of this workshop you will be better informed and prepared to deliver on the mandate of preparing others for better service delivery,” the CG said.
He added that “to this effect, Safe Schools Coordinators Course has been slated for senior officers of the Corps in the North-East Zone from 6th – 8th September, 2023 while that of North Central Zone is for 18th – 20th September, 2023. Arrangements have also been completed for similar training in all the other geo-political zones and shall be rolled out one after the other.”
The arrangement, according to him, was a deliberate attempt to decentralise the training from Abuja to states and local government where majority of schools are situated, noting that it would also allow schools host communities the opportunity to participate in the training to be better equipped in the support for the protection of schools in their domain.
While calling on members of the Special Safe Schools Response Squad (SSSRS), to work relentlessly for the success of the programme, he reminded that some of the responsibility of the centre amongst others include advocacy, awareness creation and capacity development of critical stakeholders.
Also speaking in an address of welcome, CSC Tersoo Shaapera, Commander, NSSRCC said the centre is a manifestation of intra, inter, and multi-agency collaboration, cooperation and cooperation which is made possible by the Commandant General who brought the military, police, DSS among others together.
The Commander thanked CG for his selfless leadership and commitment in the protection of schools which he noted began from vulnerability surveys conducted by the Corps which provided the basis for which safe schools programme in Nigeria is built today.
According to him, the training was another stage of the implementation drive which is to train Special Safe Schools Rapid Response Squad in accordance with Safe Schools Declaration guidelines for kinetics and non-kinetic operations in State and Local Government where majority of the schools are located.
Participants to the training were drawn from all the 36 states of the Federation and FCT with resource persons carefully chosen from the security sector, academia, ministries and Civil Society Organisations.
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