NHRC ES urges NASS to pass Safe Schools Bill into law

The National Human Rights Commission( NHRC) Executive Secretary, Dr Tony Ojukwu (SAN) has urged the National Assembly to pass the Safe Schools Bill into law without further delay.

Ojukwu made the call in a statement to mark World Teachers’ Day, 2026 which is celebrated every Oct. 5.

Newsmen inform that the bill sponsors are Sen. Bamidele Opeyemi (Ekiti Central) & Sen. Jiya Ndalikali (Niger South).

The bill is at Second Reading

Ojukwu said Nigeria’s commitment to Sustainable Development Goal 4 and other national and international obligations on the right to education requires sustained action to recruit, train, motivate and retain qualified teachers while improving the conditions in which they work.

“Governments, education authorities, school administrators, parents and communities should move beyond declarations and take concrete steps to make quality, inclusive and safe education a reality for every Nigerian child.

“Investing in teachers is investing in the right to education and future of the county. A nation cannot guarantee quality education while its teachers are inadequately supported and its schools remain unsafe or poorly equipped,” he said.

He said quality education cannot be guaranteed where teachers are poorly supported and schools remain unsafe or inadequately equipped.

He noted that improving Nigeria’s education system requires more than policy commitments, stressing that teacher welfare, professional development and decent working conditions are inseparable from the right of every child to quality education.

“It is urgent for governments to prioritise education in planning and budgeting, particularly in rural, underserved and conflict-affected communities where children face greater barriers to learning.

“Teachers are indispensable to the realisation of the right to education and the development of a society anchored on equality, human dignity and respect for human rights.

“Regular professional training, timely payment of salaries, decent working conditions, manageable workloads and adequate teaching resources for teachers, is necessary,” he said.

He noted that overcrowded classrooms, inadequate facilities and poor learning environments ultimately affect the quality of education available to children.

Ojukwu also urged governments to accelerate investment in functional classrooms, water and sanitation, electricity, digital learning facilities and disability-inclusive infrastructure.

He added that girls, children with disabilities and other vulnerable groups require particular attention to ensure equal access to education.

Ojukwu therefore, urged the National Assembly to pass the Safe Schools Bill into law without further delay.

He called on Government to translate education commitments and budgetary allocations into visible improvements in classrooms and in the lives of teachers and learners.