The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) says it has begun the process of developing a comprehensive security master plan to strengthen safety across tertiary institutions nationwide.
The Chairman of TETFund’s Board of Trustees, Aminu Masari, announced this on Tuesday at the opening of a two-day workshop on the development of the security master plan in Abuja.
Masari highlighted the growing security threats facing campuses—including banditry, kidnapping, and cyber intrusion—and said the new master plan would enhance prevention, detection, and response capabilities in higher institutions.
He said discussions during the workshop would focus on intelligence gathering, emergency response mechanisms, and the shared responsibility of security among government, security agencies, school administrators, students, staff, and host communities.
“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.
He explained that the document would serve as a long-term framework for intelligence-led operations, proactive risk management, and integrated physical and digital security systems. It will also promote collaboration between institutions, security agencies and host communities, while institutionalising emergency preparedness, crisis management, and business continuity protocols.
According to him, the deliberations from the workshop will form the building blocks of a national framework that will guide campus security policies, investments and operations for years to come.
Also speaking, the Executive Secretary of TETFund, Sonny Echono, noted that many campuses remain porous and vulnerable to criminal attacks. He recalled a previous mapping exercise conducted to identify high-risk areas and outline emergency response mechanisms.
Echono stressed the need for stronger coordination with agencies such as the military, police, and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, as well as clear communication channels to ensure rapid alerts and response during security breaches.
“We need to sensitise everyone that this risk is real. Criminal elements want to invade our campuses because they see huge collections of vulnerable people. This is not helped by the fact that some of our institutions are so porous they can easily be invaded,” he said.