The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Tunji Disu, is expected to deliver the keynote address at the seventh annual summit of the Education Writers’ Association of Nigeria (EWAN), scheduled for October 14 in Lagos.
The summit will focus on sustainable school safety, with discussions centred on protecting learners, teachers and school facilities amid growing security challenges.
EWAN Chairman, Mojeed Alabi, disclosed this in a statement issued in Lagos on Monday.
Alabi said the summit, themed “Schools Under Threat: From Reactive Responses to Sustainable Protection,” would bring together policymakers, security experts, education stakeholders and media practitioners to develop practical strategies for improving school security.
He explained that the event would emphasise the need to move beyond emergency responses to preventive measures, adequate funding and coordinated security planning.
“Each attack on a school affects more than the people caught in it. It leaves teachers afraid, parents uncertain and learners at risk of losing access to education,” Alabi said.
He stressed that school safety should be treated as a continuous responsibility, supported by clear security plans, adequate resources and trained personnel capable of identifying warning signs and responding effectively.
Alabi said discussions at the summit would cover emergency preparedness, early warning systems, response mechanisms, community engagement and support for education workers before, during and after security incidents.
The summit would also examine the role of the media in exposing gaps in school protection, sustaining public attention and reporting security incidents responsibly.
According to him, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, Chairman of the Governing Board of the National Universities Commission (NUC) and immediate past Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos, would chair the occasion.
Other speakers expected at the event include Halima Iliya, National Coordinator of Financing Safe Schools in Nigeria; Jamiu Alli-Balogun, Lagos State Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education; and Motunrayo Alaka, Executive Director of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism.
Also expected are Robert Okorie, National President of the All Nigeria Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPSS), and Audu Titus, National President of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT).
Alabi said their contributions would help connect government policies and funding commitments with the practical challenges of protecting school communities and ensuring accountability.
He added that the summit was open to policymakers, security personnel, education professionals, researchers, development practitioners and civil society representatives.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that EWAN is a network of professional education correspondents working across print, broadcast and digital media organisations in Nigeria.
The association’s annual summit provides a platform for public discussions on critical education issues. Previous editions have examined examination integrity, basic education, school safety and the role of research in national development.
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