The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to providing a safe and secure environment where every Nigerian child can learn without fear of attack or disruption.

The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education, Abel Enitan, gave the assurance on Tuesday during the commemoration of the International Day to Protect Education from Attack (IDEA), themed “Challenging Narratives, Reshaping Actions.”

Represented by the Director of Human Resource Management, Yusuf Saheed, Enitan dismissed the notion that insecurity in schools was unavoidable. He stressed that “every child deserves the right to learn in peace.”

He added: “We are changing the way we implement the Safe Schools Programme, moving beyond rhetoric to real, coordinated action.”

According to him, through the Safe Schools Declaration, the ministry was working with state governments, security agencies, and development partners to train teachers, strengthen reporting systems, and build resilience across learning environments.

Acknowledging challenges in some regions, Enitan praised learners who continued their studies despite adversity. “Protecting education is not the work of government alone. It requires the active involvement of communities, parents, teachers, and partners. Together, we must dismantle old narratives of fear and replace them with new realities of safety, resilience, and hope,” he said.

Also speaking, the Director of School Safety, Hussaini Abdullahi, emphasized that the government was shifting from reactive measures to proactive strategies to secure schools. He urged stakeholders to collaborate in preventing disruptions to education.

In her remarks, UNICEF’s Chief of Education, Vanessa Lee, underscored the crucial role of teachers, infrastructure, and School-Based Management Committees in ensuring safe and nurturing learning environments. “All of you play a very important role in advocating for finance and for policies that will keep children safe in schools so that they can learn,” she said.

Similarly, the National Team Lead for the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), Partnership for Learning for All in Nigeria (PLANE), Dr. Gboyega Ilusanya, reiterated support for Nigeria’s efforts to strengthen school safety.

Represented by National Safeguarding Advisor, Amy Oyekunle, Ilusanya declared: “On this International Day to Protect Education from Attack, we stand in solidarity with the children, teachers, parents, and communities across Nigeria who continue to bear the heavy burden of insecurity in our schools. Education is not a privilege but a right—the key to freedom, opportunity, and national progress.