Bolaji Idowu
The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has commenced the development of a comprehensive security master plan aimed at strengthening safety across tertiary institutions nationwide.
The Chairman, Board of Trustees of TETFund, Aminu Masari, disclosed this on Tuesday at the opening of a two-day workshop on the proposed security framework in Abuja.
Masari warned that Nigerian campuses are increasingly facing threats ranging from banditry and kidnapping to cyberattacks, stressing that the master plan would enhance prevention, detection and response mechanisms across institutions.
He described the document as a critical national framework that would guide campus security policies and operations for years to come.
> “What we begin here today is not merely another conference. It is a foundational step towards developing a comprehensive and forward-looking security master plan for tertiary institutions in Nigeria,” Masari said.
He explained that the plan is expected to establish a unified security framework that would strengthen institutional capacity for threat prevention, detection, mitigation and response.
According to him, the initiative will promote intelligence-led security operations and proactive risk management, as well as protect students, staff, infrastructure and intellectual assets.
Masari added that the Fund intends to deepen collaboration among institutions, security agencies and host communities, institutionalise emergency preparedness, crisis management and business continuity protocols, and integrate modern physical and digital security technologies into campus operations.
“The deliberations at this workshop will form the building blocks of a national framework that will guide campus security policies and investments for many years,” he said.
Also speaking, the Executive Secretary of TETFund, Sonny Echono, said many tertiary institutions remain porous and have become attractive targets for criminal elements.
He recalled that a previous mapping exercise had identified high-risk areas and established emergency response mechanisms, but stressed the need for stronger coordination among security agencies.
Echono emphasised the importance of clear communication channels for quick alerts and response to security breaches, involving the military, the police and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.
> “We need to sensitise everyone here that this risk is real. There are criminal elements who want to invade our campuses because they provide a particular attraction due to the huge concentration of vulnerable people,” he said.
He added that poor perimeter control in some institutions has further worsened the security challenge, making them easy targets for attacks.