THE education coordinator for Save the Children International (SCI), Borno Area Office, Mr Nebath Mela, has visited the National Safe Schools Response Coordination Centre (NSSRCC), commending it on focusing on preventive measures rather than being reactionary in its approach to ensure safer schools in the counrty.
According to Mela, “tremendous work is being done at the centre with emphasis on preventive measures taken to make schools safer, rather than being reactionary.”
He indicated interest in contributing to the activities of the NSSRCC through capacity building for stakeholders, especially at the community levels.
“Already, radio jingles are being sponsored concerning Safe Schools and it will continue as part of our support to the centre,” Mela said.
He emphasised that there is the need to train the immediate school base committee, in order to acquaint them with the early warning systems, noting that when that is achieved, the beneficiaries would have been empowered to act when such signals are detected.
The coordinator, who was accompanied on the visit to the centre by Mr Badar Musa, expressed delight at what he saw, noting that deliberate strategies have been mapped out and implemented to ensure safer schools in Nigeria.
Mela, who was received by the secretary, Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) and consultant to NSSRCC, Amishi Ligom, in company with other officers of the centre, on behalf of commander, Dr Tersoo Shaapera, decried the trend in the last five to 10 years when schools were made target of attacks, but expressed hope as the situation has been confronted, especially with implementation of the safe schools project which led to the inauguration of the NSSRCC.
Responding, Dr Shaapera explained that though the centre is housed at the headquarters of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and is fully supported by the Commandant General, Dr Ahmed Abubakar Audi, it is meant to coordinate the activities of all agencies that are saddled with responsibilities of protecting schools.
The commander added that plans had gone far to engage the state governors, some of whom had donated structures to serve as control centres, among other supports, and maintained that arrangements are ongoing to reach out to all the states and 774 local governments in the country for more support.
He assured the education coordinator of more collaboration, especially now that the Save the Children International (SCI) is activities focus more on managing the scheme in the North-East.
Flagged off on 13th February, 2023, the commander noted that the NSSRCC had successfully completed nine training sessions in the centre, while some are being planned for execution very soon, adding that the centre has also succeeded in preventing 16 attacks on schools.
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