Overview

The document is the National Policy on Safety, Security and Violence-Free Schools with Its Implementing Guidelines, published by the Federal Ministry of Nigeria in August 2021. It outlines the government's commitment to providing safe and secure learning environments, referencing the Safe Schools Declaration (SSD) endorsed in Oslo, Norway in May 2015, which Nigeria supports. The policy aims to protect learners, teachers, and schools from attacks during armed conflict and to prevent violence against children. It notes that violence negatively affects enrolment, especially for girls, and harms cognitive and emotional development. The Federal Executive Council approved the policy in March 2019, and the Technical Working Group had earlier set the development of such a policy as a key step in 2014. The policy includes implementing guidelines to prevent attacks, protect schools from military use, and respond to incidents.

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