The Katsina State Government has taken a major step toward safeguarding students and teachers by launching a steering committee to domesticate the National Safe Schools Policy.
The Katsina State Government has inaugurated a Steering Committee on Safe Schools to strengthen safety across schools in the state and ensure children learn in a secure environment.
The initiative, supported by the Education Cannot Wait (ECW) project, aims to domesticate and implement the National Safe Schools Policy.
Speaking at the inauguration in Katsina, the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Yusuf Suleiman, described the move as a landmark step toward guaranteeing safe, secure learning spaces for students and teachers.
According to him, meaningful education can only thrive where safety, dignity and protection are assured.
He reiterated that education remains a top priority for the administration of Dikko Umaru Radda, adding that the government continues to invest in policies that improve children’s welfare and strengthen the education sector.
Suleiman noted that schools face threats ranging from insecurity and violence to natural hazards, stressing that tackling them requires coordinated action among government agencies, security institutions, civil society groups, development partners and communities.
The newly formed committee will provide strategic leadership and coordination to ensure the effective domestication and implementation of the policy across the state.
Development partners also welcomed the move. Badar Musa of Save the Children International said the initiative aligns with Nigeria’s commitment to the Safe Schools Declaration adopted in 2015.
He praised Katsina for taking the step, noting that the state will become the fifth in Nigeria to domesticate the policy once the process is completed.
Musa also stressed that schools must remain neutral and safe spaces for learning, cautioning against the use of school facilities as operational bases by security forces, which could expose students and teachers to risks during attacks.
He highlighted the work of the National Safe Schools Response Coordination Centre, which coordinates responses to threats against schools and has reportedly prevented hundreds of attacks nationwide between February 2023 and December 2025.
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