The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, has pledged the Armed Forces of Nigeria’s support for the Safe Schools Initiative to strengthen protection of learning environments nationwide.
Oluyede gave the assurance when the National Coordinator of the Initiative, Hajiya Halima Iliya, paid a courtesy visit to Defence Headquarters, Abuja.
This is contained in a statement by the Director of Defence Information, Maj.-Gen. Samaila Uba, on Thursday in Abuja.
The CDS said the protection of schools and children remained a critical national security priority and a shared responsibility.
He assured the coordinator that Defence Headquarters would continue to work with the Initiative and other stakeholders to ensure that schools remained safe, secure, and conducive for learning.
Earlier, Iliya said the visit was aimed at strengthening collaboration between the Initiative and the Armed Forces in securing schools across the country.
She said the Safe Schools Initiative was established in 2014 following attacks on schools, particularly the abduction of 276 pupils in Chibok, Borno.
Iliya said the initiative, domiciled in the Federal Ministry of Finance, coordinates security agencies, Ministries, departments and Agencies, development partners and civil society organisations on school safety.
She said the engagement with the CDS was also to brief him on the Initiative’s activities, interventions, and future plans, while exploring areas of deeper collaboration with the Armed Forces.
The coordinator commiserated with the CDS and the Armed Forces over the recent military aircraft crash that claimed the lives of Nigerian Air Force personnel and other Nigerians.
She described the incident as painful and said the sacrifices of military personnel in the service of the nation remained deeply appreciated.
