On Tuesday, September 9, 2025, Nigeria’s First Lady, Oluremi “Remi” Tinubu, sent a clear and compassionate message to the nation: protecting schools must remain a top priority. She made this call while the world observed the International Day to Protect Education from Attack (IDPE), a day set aside to highlight the urgent need for safe learning spaces for children everywhere.
For Mrs Tinubu, the issue is more than political—it is personal. As a former teacher, she spoke with the conviction of someone who has stood in a classroom, guided young learners, and witnessed firsthand how education transforms lives. Her appeal was not just a ceremonial statement but a heartfelt reminder that without safe schools, Nigeria’s dream of sustainable progress is threatened.
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Moving Beyond The First Lady’s Speeches to Real Action
This year’s IDPE theme, “Challenging Narratives, Reshaping Action,” shaped the First Lady’s remarks. She stressed that while speeches and campaigns create awareness, Nigeria now needs visible, practical steps that keep students and teachers secure.
“The theme calls us to move beyond words and take stronger action to safeguard education,” she said.
Her words carried the weight of urgency. In a country where several schools in the North have been targets of abductions, and where insecurity has disrupted thousands of children’s learning, her message resonated deeply. For parents in rural communities, for teachers who sometimes risk their lives to educate, and for students whose only weapon against poverty is knowledge, her call sounded like both encouragement and challenge.
Mrs Tinubu’s intervention was not only about safety from armed groups. She also implied the need for better learning conditions, from improved infrastructure to proper funding of education. For her, real protection means creating an environment where education is not interrupted, where every child has a fair chance to succeed.
Education as the Foundation of Hope
At the heart of the first lady’s message was a simple but profound truth: education is hope. Without it, the nation risks raising a generation stripped of opportunities.
“Education is the foundation of hope, and safeguarding it means securing our future,” Mrs Tinubu declared.
She reminded Nigerians that investing in children’s education is the most reliable insurance for national stability. In a country battling poverty, unemployment, and security challenges, quality schooling remains the strongest antidote.
The First Lady also extended gratitude to UNICEF, UNESCO, and the Education Above All Foundation. These global partners, she said, have consistently stood with Nigeria in expanding access to education and supporting government initiatives to keep schools open. Their work has strengthened literacy campaigns, teacher training, and emergency responses in conflict-affected regions.
Her recognition of these organisations also reflected Nigeria’s willingness to keep collaborating internationally. Education, she stressed, is not just a local concern but a shared global responsibility.
Security Agencies and the Role of Every Nigerian
While commending Nigeria’s security agencies for their efforts in protecting schools, Mrs Tinubu was clear that the task cannot be theirs alone.
“In Nigeria, our security agencies are doing their best, but protecting schools must remain a shared national priority,” she said.
This remark highlights a key reality: the safety of schools is a collective duty. Communities, parents, teachers, local governments, and traditional rulers must all play active roles. Protection means vigilance, cooperation, and building trust between citizens and security officials.
In practice, this could include community watch programmes, better coordination of early-warning systems, and stronger local support for displaced families whose children risk dropping out of school. It also calls for citizens to challenge harmful narratives—such as the idea that girl-child education is secondary—by reshaping cultural attitudes to fully embrace the importance of learning for all children.
Her words therefore, go beyond policy—they invite every Nigerian to own the responsibility of securing the country’s future through education.
Conclusion: Safeguarding Schools, Securing the Future
The First Lady’s call on the International Day to Protect Education from Attack serves as both a warning and an inspiration. Warning, because the consequences of failing to protect schools are too costly for any nation to bear. Inspiration, because her message affirms that by working together—citizens, communities, security agencies, and international partners—Nigeria can reshape the story of its educational system.
Education is more than classrooms and textbooks. It is the bridge between poverty and opportunity, between despair and hope, between insecurity and peace. By demanding stronger protection for schools, Remi Tinubu has placed education at the centre of Nigeria’s national survival strategy.
If Nigeria answers this call, its children can look to a future where learning is not interrupted by fear, but powered by possibility.
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