Mission Safe Schools: NSCDC and TETFund Forge Strategic Alliance to Shield Nigerian Campuses

Mission Safe Schools: NSCDC and TETFund Forge Strategic Alliance to Shield Nigerian Campuses

In a decisive move to bridge the gap between national security and academic excellence, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) have entered high-level talks to formalize a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

The partnership aims to transform Nigerian campuses from “soft targets” into secure bastions of learning through a “whole-of-society” approach.

During a visit to the TETFund headquarters in Abuja, NSCDC Commandant General Prof. Ahmed Abubakar Audi laid out a sobering reality. Despite a recent downward trend in coordinated school attacks, the sheer scale of Nigeria’s educational infrastructure remains a logistical challenge.

 * 81,000+ Schools: The total number of schools identified in a national survey.

 * 60,000+ Schools: Currently classified as “porous,” lacking perimeter fencing or professional security personnel.

 * 63,000 Officers: The total strength of the NSCDC.

“If we deploy one officer per school—including myself—it still wouldn’t be enough,” Prof. Audi remarked. “This is why we must collaborate. Security is no longer just about policing; it’s about a unified front involving agencies, traditional rulers, and institutions like TETFund.”

The proposed agreement isn’t just a handshake; it’s a structural overhaul. Key pillars of the collaboration include:

 * Institutional Upgrades: Modernizing the NSCDC’s six training colleges—notably the College of Security Management in Abeokuta—to world-class standards.

 * Training Private Guards: Using NSCDC’s accredited facilities to train the private security firms that handle the day-to-day internal safety of tertiary institutions.

 * Intellectual Weaponry: Integrating security as a core thematic area within the National Research Fund, encouraging scholars to develop homegrown solutions to insurgency and campus crime.

 * Mutual Benefit: The NSCDC will provide specialized security training for TETFund staff to ensure their safety during field interventions.

TETFund Executive Secretary, Arc. Sonny Echono, lauded the “silent, tireless work” of the Corps, emphasizing that education cannot thrive in an atmosphere of fear.

Echono highlighted that under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, TETFund has seen over 100% growth in funding, providing the necessary muscle to support these new security mandates.

“We are not awash with money—our problems are growing exponentially,” Echono stated. “But we recognize that security is a fundamental pillar for any educational intervention. We are committed to extending this hand of fellowship to ensure lecturers and students can focus on what matters: education.”

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Responding to questions on the inclusion of private schools in Tertiary Education Research and Application Service (TERAS) and the Education Tax Law, Echono said that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been supportive in helping TETFund to achieve its objectives and ensuring that Nigerians get quality education.

“Under this administration, TETFund has experienced more than 100 per cent growth in our funding. Mr. President assured us of that, so we have no reason to doubt him. Before he came on board in 2023, we knew what we were collecting. We knew what we were getting. What we got last year was huge. And what we expect to get this year, also very encouraging. We are not awash with money. Our problems are also increasing exponentially.

“As you are aware, we are setting up new institutions, and we are also expanding our collaboration, including security agents. So you can see that as to whom more is given, more is also expected, and we are doing a lot of that. I’d like to use this opportunity not only to appreciate Mr. President, but the Nigerian public.

“We saw the manner in which the entire country rose when the original version of that tax was presented. There was the sunset clause, and even the governors, everybody rose in unison to say no. TETFund is a critical national institution that should not only be protected, but should be supported more, and Mr. President agreed fully with that position. So we thank the Nigerian people,” he said.

The “Safe School Initiative” is entering a new phase. By aligning TETFund’s financial and research resources with the NSCDC’s tactical expertise, the duo aims to create a blueprint for campus safety that can be replicated across the African continent.