A security expert, Mr Seyi Babaeko, says the Federal Government’s Safe School Initiative has yet to fully achieve its objective of protecting schools from attacks by kidnappers, bandits and other criminal elements.
The Safe School Initiative, launched in 2014 after the Chibok schoolgirls’ abduction, is backed by a four-year N144 billion Federal Government plan (2023–2026) to strengthen security in schools nationwide.
Babaeko, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Absolute Security & Advance Protocol, said the initiative’s impact had remained uneven due to weak implementation.
According to him, security improvements have been concentrated in a limited number of schools, while many institutions, particularly in rural and conflict-affected communities, remain vulnerable.
“A programme that protects only selected schools cannot reasonably be described as a comprehensive national success,” he said.
Babaeko expressed concern over the lack of publicly available evidence showing how many schools had become safer or whether attacks had declined because of the initiative.
He said public policy should be judged by measurable outcomes, with transparent performance indicators and independent evaluations.
The expert noted that the initiative focused more on physical infrastructure than on intelligence gathering, rapid response and sustained security presence.
He stressed that school security could not be separated from broader governance challenges such as poverty, weak institutions, poor infrastructure and inadequate government presence.
Babaeko called for greater accountability, saying every naira committed to the programme should be traceable, independently audited and linked to measurable improvements in school safety.
He added that the initiative’s success should be measured by whether every child could attend school without fear of violence, abduction or disruption.
Speaking on the broader security situation, Babaeko warned that the illegal exploitation of strategic minerals such as gold and lithium was increasingly fueling criminal activities and insecurity.
He said criminal networks exploited weak regulation by controlling illegal mining sites, extorting miners and smuggling minerals through informal channels.
According to him, proceeds from illegal mining finance other criminal operations, strengthen criminal networks and deprive the government of substantial revenue.
Babaeko, however, said mineral resources alone did not cause insecurity, noting that weak institutions, poor law enforcement, poverty and limited state presence enabled criminal groups to thrive.
The expert said many mineral-rich communities remained vulnerable because they were located in remote areas with inadequate security, poor infrastructure and weak regulation, allowing illegal miners and organised criminal groups to operate with minimal resistance.
He urged the government to strengthen security around mining sites, improve intelligence gathering, deploy surveillance technology, tighten border controls and enforce mining regulations more effectively.
Babaeko also called for greater community participation, saying host communities should benefit from legitimate mining so they could help protect the nation’s mineral resources and improve security.
