Niger State Ministry for Basic and Secondary Education in collaboration with UNICEF has organised a two-day training of State Steering Committee (SSC) on safe schools implementation to tackle the prevalence menace of kidnapping of students and teachers in the State.
The Permanent Secretary, of the state Ministry for Basic and Secondary Education, Dr Wasa Jonathan K, who inaugurated the committee recently at Haske Hotels, Tunga, Minna said the responsibility of achieving a safe school environment was a collective responsibility, adding that the ministry’s unwavering collaboration with UNICEF to achieve SDG’s Goal 4 standard of Education.
In a statement issued and made available to the newsmen in Minna by the Information Officer, Niger State Ministry for Basic and Secondary Education, Jibrin Usman Kodo stated that Dr. Jonathan Wasa has expressed the commitment of the state government under the leadership of Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago to achieve a safe school environment for effective teaching and learning in the state.
Dr Wasa Jonathan thereby urged members of the committee to see the membership as an opportunity to contribute their quota to achieve safety in schools and reduce the rate of kidnappings in schools.
The event was witnessed by all the Permanent Secretaries whose ministries were part of the Safe School Implementation Committee and they all added their voices to the initiative which they described as apt and timely.
Consequently, immediately after the inauguration, the Lead facilitator from UNICEF Dr. Bulus Myfriend K, sensitized the newly inaugurated Steering Committee on Safe School and the Journey so far on Safe School initiative leveraging on the terms of reference to the committee.
He harped on Safe School Minimum standards and the National Policy for Safety, Security and Violence-Free Schools.
Dr Myfriend also pledged to support the State government in drafting/reviewing their costed Implementation plan for onward inclusion in the State Annual budget.
Meanwhile, the high point of the 2-Day training was the group work and interactive activities which further improved the quality of the committee’s performance and participation in the training.
The committee comprises State Ministry of Education (Lead), Universal Basic Education Board, (SUBEB) Agency for Mass Education, Ministry of Budget and Planning (Co-lead), Ministry of Information and Strategy, Ministry of Women Affairs, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Water Resources and Dams Development, Ministry of Environment, Ministry for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Ministry of Justice, State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), State House of Assembly Committee on Education, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps,(NSCDC) the Nigerian Military, Nigerian Police Force, UNICEF States Representatives of Implementing Partners, Civil Society Organizations,(CSOs) School Based Management Committee, State Chairperson amongst others.
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