The Tertiary Education Trust Fund, TETFund, has commenced the development of a comprehensive security master plan aimed at enhancing safety across tertiary institutions in Nigeria.
Chairman, Board of Trustees of TETFund, Alhaji Aminu Masari, disclosed this Tuesday in Abuja at the opening of a two-day workshop on the proposed security framework.
Masari said campuses nationwide are increasingly grappling with security challenges, including banditry, kidnapping and cyberattacks, stressing that the new master plan would strengthen prevention, detection and response mechanisms in higher institutions.
He said the workshop marked a critical step towards producing a national document that would guide campus security policies and operations.
“What we begin here today is not just another workshop, but a foundational step towards developing a comprehensive, forward-looking security master plan for tertiary institutions in Nigeria,” Masari said.
According to him, the plan would promote intelligence-led security operations, proactive risk management, and the protection of students, staff, facilities, infrastructure and intellectual assets.
Masari added that the framework would also enhance collaboration among tertiary institutions, security agencies and host communities, while institutionalising emergency preparedness, crisis management and business continuity protocols, alongside the deployment of modern physical and digital security technologies.
He noted that outcomes of the deliberations would form the building blocks of a national framework to guide campus security policies and investments in the coming years.
Earlier, Executive Secretary of TETFund, Arc. Sonny Echono, said many campuses remained largely porous, making them easy targets for criminal elements.
Echono recalled that a previous security mapping exercise had identified high-risk areas and emergency response mechanisms, but noted the need for stronger coordination among security agencies.
He emphasised the importance of clear communication channels for timely alerts and responses to security breaches, involving the military, police and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC.
“The risk is real. There are criminal elements seeking to invade our campuses because they host a large number of vulnerable people. The situation is worsened by the fact that some institutions are so porous they can easily be invaded,” Echono said.
