The Universal Basic Education Commission, UBEC, and the Office of the National Security Adviser, ONSA, have announced a strategic partnership to bolster school safety and expand access to quality basic education nationwide.
Executive Secretary of UBEC, Dr. Aisha Garba, and National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, met in Abuja last week to formalize the collaboration.
The partnership prioritizes safeguarding schools in high-risk regions and dismantling systemic barriers to education, and aligns with the federal government’s broader agenda to strengthen Nigeria’s educational framework amid rising security challenges.
In a statement released Sunday, UBEC’s Head of Public Relations and Protocol, David Apeh, emphasized the critical link between education and national stability.
“This partnership reflects our shared commitment to securing learning environments and ensuring no child is excluded from education due to insecurity or inequity,” he said.
Speaking at the meeting, UBEC Executive Secretary, Garba, underscored the urgency of interagency cooperation, noting that targeted strategies will address region-specific challenges.
“We are mobilizing stakeholders across all six geopolitical zones to improve infrastructure, resource distribution, and safety protocols.
“Our approach will be adaptive—state by state, community by community—to ensure every child has access to a conducive and protected learning space,” she said.
According to UBEC, key objectives of the collaboration include: deploying security infrastructure to at-risk schools, and accelerating the rollout of the Safe Schools Initiative in conflict-prone areas.
Others are improving teacher training and resource allocation in underserved regions and establishing state-level task forces to monitor threats and enrollment gaps
UBEC’s meeting with the NSA follows recent pledge by the commission to prioritize partnerships with security and community stakeholders to combat rising out-of-school rates, particularly in northern Nigeria where attacks on schools and displacement have disrupted education for millions of children.
