By Reportcircle News
In a move that signals a bold new front in Nigeria’s fight to secure its learning spaces, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) and the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) have entered into a strategic alliance aimed at fortifying school security nationwide an intervention experts say is long overdue as attacks on educational institutions evolve in scale and sophistication.
The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, set the tone on Monday during a high-level courtesy visit to UBEC headquarters in Abuja, declaring education “the foundation upon which a safer and more secure Nigeria is built,” and warning that the nation’s security architecture must now adapt to protect classrooms as vigorously as it protects borders.
Aneke stressed that in a country still grappling with abductions, school invasions, and destabilising threats across learning communities, collaboration between security institutions and education authorities is no longer optional, it is a national imperative. He noted that the NAF’s footprint in the basic education space is extensive, with 33 schools 20 primary and 13 secondary serving thousands of military and civilian children.
“Our responsibility extends beyond protecting communities to nurturing the future of the Nigerian child,” he said, adding that safe, modern, technology-driven learning environments are central to building a resilient generation.
The Air Chief outlined the NAF’s ongoing interventions: teacher development programmes, digital literacy expansion, and phased upgrades of school facilities.
But he insisted that UBEC’s partnership would significantly widen the impact, particularly in accelerating the adoption of safe-school technologies, strengthening learning systems, and improving protection for schools in high-risk regions.
Priority collaboration areas tabled include:
Large-scale upgrades of NAF schools to accommodate rising enrolments;
Joint teacher training and professional development;
Integration of NAF institutions into UBEC digital education ecosystems;
Shared quality assurance systems to track performance and accountability; and
Deeper cooperation under UBEC’s Safe School Programme to monitor and safeguard vulnerable schools nationwide.
Responding, UBEC Executive Secretary Dr. Aisha Garba expressed strong enthusiasm for the partnership, praising the Air Force for its contributions to national development beyond its military mandate.
“No education system can thrive without safety, and no security framework is complete without education,” she said, affirming UBEC’s readiness to operationalise the collaboration.
She described the partnership as a catalyst for stronger school protection, improved teaching delivery, and increased resilience across Nigeria’s basic education sector.
For the NAF, the engagement aligns squarely with the national Safe School initiative and reinforces the Renewed Hope agenda’s push to guarantee that every Nigerian child whether in military barracks or civilian communities learns in a secure, functional, and supportive environment.
Air Marshal Aneke emphasised that the future of Nigeria rests on a model where education and security work hand in hand.
“A well-educated child today becomes a productive citizen tomorrow,” he said. “This partnership is a step towards building a safer, smarter, and more prosperous Nigeria.”
