The Education in Emergencies Working Group Nigeria (EiEWGN) has hailed President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR for ratifying the Safe Schools Declaration (SSD).
The ratification, which took place on March 20th, 2019 during the weekly FEC meeting, has now opened the door for the Nigerian government to put in place a national policy to guide the implementation of the SSD nationwide.
The Safe Schools Declaration is an intergovernmental political commitment that provides countries with the opportunity to express support for protecting students, teachers, schools, and universities from attack during times of armed conflict.
It highlights the importance of the continuation of education during armed conflict and the implementation of concrete measures to deter the military use of schools.
The Safe Schools Declaration was opened for endorsement by countries at an international conference held in Oslo, Norway, on May 28 to May 29, 2015.
“We call on the federal government to follow through on this milestone approval and issue a policy statement that would guide implementation of the declaration to protect children from attacks in schools and ensure their education continues without hindrance at all times. The EiEWGN also urges the National Assembly to put in place a law to support implementation of the policy,” reads a statement from the group.
The Nigerian government had expressed commitment to implement the declaration a year ago when it was signed by the Honourable Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu on March 8th 2018.
