FG orders Unity Colleges to register with Safe School Coordination Centre amid rising attacks

The Minister of State for Education, Yusuf Sununu, has issued a one-week ultimatum to principals of Federal Unity Colleges (FUCs) to register their schools with the National Safe School Response Coordination Centre (NSSRCC).

The directive, given on Monday in Abuja, is set to safeguard schools against escalating attacks by bandits.

The NSSRCC, launched in February 2023, coordinates safety and security responses to violence in schools and host communities. Sununu emphasised that registration with the centre is crucial for filtering information to ensure the security of schools.

The move comes amidst growing concerns over the vulnerability of schools to attacks, and the government’s efforts to strengthen measures to protect students, teachers, and educational institutions.

“We are giving a deadline of one week for all schools to be registered with NSSRCC to filter information and escalate to the security agencies for quick response,” he said.

Mr Sununu also expressed a decline in the enrollment rate of students, calling on the principals to ensure their schools get more students.

He said the ministry had developed a portal for self-learning and urged the principals to use it to help their students build their skills through technology education.

The Minister, therefore, charged them to make their schools better, especially in the area of quality education, to boost students’ enrollment.

Meanwhile, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Education, Didi Walson-Jack, reiterated the ministry’s commitment to work closely with the principals to achieve quality education in all schools.