The Safe Schools Project has recorded a sharp rise in school registrations amid an alarming increase in school kidnappings, particularly in rural areas.
Sunday PUNCH gathered that the total number of schools registered under the initiative has now reached 14,685, a significant increase from 11,550 schools recorded just a month ago.
The Commander of the National Safe Schools Response and Coordination Centre, Gen. Emmanuel Ocheja, confirmed the surge on Saturday.
“As of today, 14,685 schools are officially registered under the Safe Schools Initiative, marking a notable increase from November when just 11,550 schools were listed on the central monitoring platform. We are now experiencing a surge in the registration of schools,” he said.
Launched in 2014 following the abduction of over 200 schoolgirls in Chibok, the Safe Schools Project was designed to protect schools from such attacks. However, many schools across the country remain vulnerable.
Last week, Ocheja announced that more security personnel would be deployed to schools in 2026 to bolster protection and counter potential threats.
The increase in school registrations comes in the wake of mass abductions that have shocked the nation. On November 17, 2025, armed men attacked Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga, Kebbi State, abducting 24 students and killing the vice-principal.
Four days later, on November 21, gunmen stormed St Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri, Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State, abducting hundreds of pupils and staff. Church and local authorities later confirmed that 303 students and 12 teachers were seized—one of the worst mass kidnappings in recent times.
Although the Safe Schools Project has been allocated N144.8 billion for the 2023–2026 period, only a fraction of these funds have been released, leaving gaps in the security infrastructure needed to protect schools nationwide.
Despite frequent attacks, 30 states have yet to implement the Federal Government’s Safe Schools Project.
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