When Wole Soyinka visited his alma mater, Government College Ibadan, he delivered a message that cuts straight to the heart of Nigeria’s current crisis: the growing spate of attacks on schools demands more than reactive policing — it requires embedding security awareness into basic education. The Nobel laureate insisted that security should not be treated as an afterthought but established as a formal subject in schools nationwide.
He spoke with urgency, noting that kidnappings and violent assaults now afflict nearly every professional sector. When even institutions of learning are no longer safe, he said, “drastic measures” must be implemented to safeguard the future of the country.
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Elevating security from concern to curriculum
Soyinka argued that if children are to be encouraged to learn freely, the learning environment must prioritise safety. To do otherwise, he implied, risks undermining the very essence of education, and by extension, the stability of the nation. During his visit to Government College, Ibadan, he laid out proposals for a national policy: security should become a stand-alone discipline in schools, delivering basic knowledge of safety and vigilance to all students, regardless of their field of study. This, he said, would foster a generation more alert to dangers and better prepared to defend themselves and their communities.
In calling for this shift, he highlighted a painful reality: the scourge of kidnappings in Nigeria no longer targets only certain vulnerable groups. Instead, the risk now spans across professions and societal sectors — meaning every student, teacher, parent and community stands in harm’s way if nothing changes.
Why the call from Soyinka for security education comes now
This plea from Soyinka resonates against a backdrop of alarming data. Recent reports by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) flagged that more than 80 per cent of Nigerian schools remain vulnerable to attacks.
Security analysts and educators long warned that classrooms must not only impart academic skills but also prepare students for a reality in which safety is uncertain. Some have argued that schools ought to teach basic self-defence and emergency response — simple, practical skills that could reduce vulnerability during violent incidents.
Others advocate for robust school security infrastructure: proper fencing, lighting, surveillance, and regular coordination with law enforcement agencies. Without such measures, they warn, efforts to educate citizens on security awareness will only get Nigeria so far.
A broader call to Nigerian youth, government and stakeholders
During the same visit, the President of the school’s alumni association, Wale Babalakin, praised the current leadership of the state, particularly the efforts of Seyi Makinde, for handing over the school’s management to the alumni, enabling them to restore it to its former glory. He urged youths to take education seriously while calling on stakeholders to create more platforms that support and inspire students to strive for excellence.
But Soyinka’s message extends beyond infrastructure or alumni support. It is a clarion call for a paradigm shift: that education must evolve to reflect Nigeria’s realities. When knowledge alone cannot guarantee safety, equipping students with security awareness becomes not just necessary but urgent — for their own protection, and for the peace and progress of the nation.
It is clear that restoring Nigeria’s long-valued respect for learning will require more than refurbished classrooms or improved teaching. It will demand a national resolve to make schools sanctuaries once again — places where learning and safety go hand in hand.
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