TETFund Moves To Develop Security Master Plan For Tertiary Institutions

The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has initiated the development of a comprehensive security master plan to enhance safety across tertiary institutions nationwide.

Chairman of the Board of Trustees of TETFund, Aminu Masari, disclosed this on Tuesday at the opening of a two-day workshop in Abuja, focused on designing a proposed security framework for campuses.

Masari warned that Nigerian campuses were increasingly exposed to threats ranging from banditry and kidnapping to cyberattacks, stressing that the envisaged master plan would enhance prevention, detection and response mechanisms across institutions.

He described the workshop as a crucial step towards producing a national reference document that would shape campus security policies and operational standards.

“What we begin here today is not merely another conference. It is a foundational step in developing a comprehensive, forward-looking security master plan for tertiary institutions in Nigeria,” Masari said.

According to him, the plan would provide a unified security framework that transcends institutional capacities, strengthen intelligence-led security operations and promote proactive risk management.
He said the initiative would also protect students, staff, facilities, infrastructure and intellectual assets, while deepening collaboration among educational institutions, security agencies and host communities.

Masari added that the framework would institutionalise emergency preparedness, crisis management and business continuity protocols, as well as integrate modern physical and digital security technologies into campus operations.

He explained that deliberations from the workshop would serve as building blocks for a national framework that would guide campus security policies and investments for years to come.

Also speaking, TETFund Executive Secretary Sonny Echono noted that many tertiary institutions remain vulnerable due to their porous campuses, which make them attractive targets for criminal activities.

Echono recalled a previous security mapping exercise that identified high-risk areas and outlined emergency response mechanisms, but noted that adequate security still required stronger coordination among relevant agencies.

He emphasised the need for clear communication channels involving the military, the police and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps to ensure timely alerts and rapid response to security breaches.

“We need to sensitise everyone that this risk is real. There are criminal elements who want to invade our campuses because they provide a particular attraction due to the huge concentration of vulnerable people,” Echono said.

He added that the problem was worsened by the openness of many institutions, which makes them easily accessible to criminal elements.