INSECURITY IN NIGERIAN SCHOOLS: THE QUEST FOR A LASTING SOLUTION

Nigeria is facing a myriad of security challenges that are threatening her institutional efficiency, socio-political stability and economic development. However, insecurity issues are global concerns which are not limited to a particular country. Though, Nigeria also has her fair share of the problem due to the fact that she is being overwhelmed by series of terror attacks and other forms of insecurity for over a decade which has led to the clarion call for a long-term solution by the citizens and other stakeholders to the government. These attacks on government infrastructures, humans and institutions including religious houses seemed unabating whereas they have direct and indirect consequences on the citizens, institutions, political environment and the economy. Insecurity is a situation where safety or protection of lives and properties are lacking or uncertain while the people are being subjected to anxiety, fear, injury, danger, or worry as it adversely affects meaningful development of any kind in all areas of human endeavour. On the opposite side of it, security is a state that guarantees protection from all threats by consciously establishing secured structures or programmes that ensure the trust of the public. This study examines insecurity in Nigerian schools highlighting the causes, consequences and likely solutions. It discussed further the concept of insecurity, school safety, forms of insecurity in the Nigerian schools, theoretical framework on security, factors that contributes to schools’ insecurity, consequences of insecurity on the Nigerian school system, and lasting solutions to insecurity in Nigerian schools. The study argued that insecurity has adversely affected many schools, lives and properties by way of depriving these institutions from achieving the intended educational goals and has negatively impacted the quality of teaching and research in all levels of education especially the tertiary institutions. The paper was anchored on the Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory propounded by Abraham Maslow. The study concluded that the duty of securing lives and properties rests on every individual in the society and the government to the extent that the cooperation of all and sundry is needed to have a safe society where all sectors of the economy including education can thrive. It also added that the absence of a comprehensive approach to solving insecurity issues will make many Nigerian schools to be vulnerable to series of attack. This study recommended a whole society approach to fight against insecurity where everybody in the community or society is a stakeholder. All the three tiers of government should work assiduously to ensure that all the schools in their domains or areas of jurisdiction are well protected. Security agents should address all issues causing insecurity in all the regions of the country without fear or bias while the government should continue to invest bountifully on the security sector.