NSCDC trains 300 officers for safe school programme

The National Safe School Response Coordination Centre has conducted a one-day capacity-building training for 300 participants from six states in the North-Central Geopolitical Zone at the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps national headquarters.

The training, aimed at enhancing school safety, brought together state coordinators and desk officers from Benue, Nasarawa, Kogi, Niger, Plateau, and the Federal Capital Territory.

This was disclosed in a statement signed by NSCDC spokesperson, Babawale Afolabi, on Wednesday.

The programme with the theme “Ensuring Safer Schools for All,” was designed to strengthen participants’ ability to ensure secure learning environments.

It was part of the NSCDC’s broader efforts to support the Safe Schools Project and align with the Federal Government’s Safe Schools Declaration.

The initiative, which began with a vulnerability study of schools in 2021, aims to provide secure learning environments for students, teachers, and host communities.

According to the statement, the Commandant General of the NSCDC, Abubakar Audi, emphasised the importance of training and retraining for effective service delivery and safer schools across the nation.

Audi, in his keynote speech delivered by Deputy Commandant General for Technical Services, DCG Zakari Ningi, urged participants to “take full advantage of the training and to share their newly acquired knowledge with colleagues and grassroots communities.”

The event featured presentations from experts in various fields, offering new insights into emerging security challenges such as cyber threats, drug abuse, and cultism.

The Commander of the NSSRCC, ACC Rabiu Muhammed, highlighted the need for continuous innovation and collaboration in addressing the evolving risks faced by schools.

 He emphasised that “the training aimed to equip participants with the latest skills and technologies to better protect schoolchildren.”

 The National Coordinator for Financing Safe Schools, Hajiya Halima Ibrahim, delivered a goodwill message that recognised the efforts of the NSCDC and other stakeholders despite financial challenges.  She encouraged participants to actively engage in the training and ensure that the knowledge gained is cascaded to their local communities for maximum impact.