Stakeholders have affirmed the importance of an effective cost prediction being part of the holistic strategies for school safety and security plan just as they said it is critical to ensure that all learners, staff members and school property, including buildings and equipment, as well as school communities are protected from human-induced and natural hazards.
They explained that a well-planned Costed Action Plan (CAP) is an important part of the cost management for school security projects as it will ensure that costs incurred in the projects are kept within the project budget with the help of planning, estimation and control.
They spoke at a ‘One-day meeting with stakeholders for the validation of the draft Costed Action Plan (CAP) For Safe School Declaration in Lagos State’ put together by Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre (WARDC) in partnership with the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding Nigeria (WANEP-Nigeria) at the instance of the United Nations Democracy Fund (UNDEF).
Founding Director of WARDC, Dr. Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi said the organisation is currently leading the movement for the adoption of the Safe School Initiatives and challenged state governors and legislators to fully pass and implement the Safe Schools Declaration (SSD) project in states the country.
She said efforts must be geared toward advocacy for the SSD in Nigeria and commended stakeholders who has continue to press for the adoption of the project adding that only Bauchi state has adopted the legal framework and its implementation in the country.
Head of programmes at WANEP, Patience Ikpeh-Obaulo, explained that the Lagos State House of Assembly is currently working on the SSD bill for the state, adding that WANEP will mobilise stakeholders to ensure the bill is passed in record time.
Lead consultant for the project and professor of International Relations at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Kehinde Olayode told participants that the project was about having an estimate required to implement some activities that will ensure safety and violent-free schools in Lagos state.
He said ‘A CAP is a multi-year road map designed to help the state to implement broad development goals. It is a critical tool in transforming broad goals into concrete activities and appropriate costing.
“CAP determines the human, financial, material and technical resources needed for policy implementation. CAP is not the actual budget, but cost estimation and therefore not legally bidding until it is incorporated into the budget’, he said.
Olayode explained that CAP was necessitated by concerns that effective teaching and learning can take place in an environment that is conducive, peaceful and free from threats.
‘When students come to school, they need to learn with peaceful mind. If the students are apprehensive; they are concerned about their safety; they are concerned about their own security, it will affect them psychologically. They won’t be able to concentrate and focus adequately on teaching and learning activities’, he said.
Olayode also recalled the incidents of kidnapping of school children in the north, thus making it imperative to embark on safe school projects.
‘Available statistics suggest that violence against children negatively affects enrolment at the basic level, especially as it concerns the girl child. Parents are known to have been discouraged from sending their girls to school out of fear for their safety.
‘We also need to realise some of the security challenges that our country has been facing over the years, against the background of the abduction of Chibok and Dapchi school children. Even in the university there was an incident in 2024 when armed men invaded a university campus in Kogi State and abducted some students.
‘These are the reasons the Lagos State government is taking a proactive action in keying to security and violent-free school project, especially School Safety Declaration’, he added.
He said beyond having a policy there is also the need to have an estimated cost.
‘What is required is a rough estimate of what is required to implement some of the activities that have been specified in the policy document. That informed the development of the costed action plan (CAP) so that we can plan better&, he stressed.
With the CAP in place, Olayode said it can be used for resource mobilistion.
‘The government cannot finance the cost solely. The government has huge responsibilities. There are many sectors calling for the attention of the government. The government has to construct roads, pay workers’ salaries, and you can’t expect the government to fix everything.
‘CAP is designed to justify resource mobilisation and to leverage financial and technical resources from multiple stakeholders.
‘Once you have your CAP, you can identify various sources that can assist you. Once you have your CAP, you have an estimated cost of what is required to implement the policy you can use it to reach out to different stakeholders, development partners, philanthropists and plead with them for support. That is why we are here to facilitate the training for the stakeholders on developing a realistic CAP’, he stated.
Olayode further stated that the CAP is not a closed document, noting that there is room for constant reviews and evaluation.
‘What we have prepared is a five-year action plan. Once you carry out some activities this year, for instance, in the second year you can look at the document again and see if what you have projected for the second year is realistic and feasible or not, against the backdrop of inflationary trend.
‘If you know that some of the activities projected in the second year have already been undertaken in the first year you can stem them down and harmonise. It is an open document that requires constant engagement, especially by policy makers’, he added.
