THE Federal Government, through the coordinating unit of the Safe School Initiative, has engaged over 3,000 Man O’ War Nigeria personnel to bolster safer school resilience across the federation.
Daily Champion reports that the partnership has drawn participants from all 36 states, including the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The personnel are currently undergoing the Man O’ War Nigeria 4th National Camping Exercise, running from August 9 to 15, 2026, at the Citizenship and Leadership Training Centre, Shere Hills, Jos, under the theme: “Strengthening Community Based Safe School Framework: For a Secured and Resilient Nigeria.”
Speaking at the official opening of the camp exercise, National Coordinator of the Safe School Initiative, Hajiya Halima Iliya, acknowledged that the safe school plan was launched in 2022 by the Federal Government and funded in 2023, when full implementation of the national plan and financing began.
She explained that the financing model is designed to address issues on a more holistic and sustainable basis, with clear objectives.
“One of the objectives is to cascade it down to the state and community level to strengthen resilience of the entire host community because it is our collective responsibility,” she said. “It is a multi-agency collaboration where we have a lot of multiple agencies working to ensure the orientation of safe school across the country.”
She noted that Man O’ War is a key partner in strengthening the community framework, adding: “We have taken mapping of all the communities, especially the strategy which will focus on the three senatorial zones. We’re mapping out schools to cascade down, to build resilience of the entire host community—not just the host school but the entire host community. These actors stay within the community; these actors face the community for the attack, and some of these actors are external by nature.”
The national coordinator further confirmed that the Federal Government is working on a transition plan that takes cognisance of vulnerable communities, bordering communities, and riverine communities.
“You see the way they move children on canoes in search of education, they also traverse the vulnerable community, and the Federal Government is committed to see we cascade down to all these vulnerable communities in partnership with immigration and agencies of government,” she stated.
Already, she noted, security agencies and the defence establishment—representing the entire armed forces—are involved, with the project coordinated by her office and the Office of the National Security Adviser. “This shows that there is a security strategy. So, it is not just about the host community, but we also want to address it in a holistic way.”
On funding, Hajiya Iliya confirmed: “The Federal Government is willing; we have budget for the safe school intervention for 2026. I am representing the Ministry of Finance as the National Coordinator for the safe school programme because this programme is an intervention of government scale-up of what other agencies are doing. And for financial prudence, accountability, and transparency, the Ministry of Finance remains the coordinating authority.
Camp Exercise Strengthens Volunteer Capacity
National Commander of Man O’ War Nigeria, Adedamola Gbenga, revealed that the camp serves as a strategic platform for strengthening volunteers, renewing their commitment to national service, building leadership capacity, and preparing the organisation for greater responsibilities in the years ahead.
“One of the major highlights of this year’s national camp is the capacity-building programme for the Safe School Awareness and Preparedness Training (SSAPT) coordinators of Man O’ War Nigeria, drawn from across the country,” he said.
“We expect our coordinators to acquire stronger knowledge and practical skills in areas such as safeguarding and child protection, early warning and early response, emergency preparedness, security awareness, school risk management, community mobilisation and resilience building—more so, to speak in strong terms against the recruitment and use of children in armed violence,” he added.
The initiative represents a significant step in the Federal Government’s commitment to securing educational environments across Nigeria, with the partnership between the Safe School Initiative and Man O’ War Nigeria expected to enhance community-level resilience and protection for schools nationwide.
