By Evelyn Terseer, Abuja 
The president of the federal republic of Nigeria, His Excellency, Muhammadu Buhari has assured that his government and Education in Emergencies Working Group in Nigeria (EiEWGN) will work to endattacks on schools and to ensure a safe and enabling learning environment.

The president spoke yesterday in Abujaduring the fourth international conference on the safe schools declaration with the theme, “Ensuring Safe Education For All: From Commitment to Practice. ”
The conference was co-hosted by Nigeria, Spain, Norway and Argentina and was aimed at reviewing progress being made by member states in the quest to make schools safer globally.
Recall that one hundred and twelve countries are signatory to the Safe Schools Declaration protocol and Nigeria was among the first 37Member states of UN that endorsed the Safe School Declaration in 2015.
The Conference was the first to be held on the African continent withthe previous ones held in Oslo, Norway in 2015, Buenos Aires, Argentina in2017 and Palma de Mallorca, Spain in 2019.
Buhari who was represented by his Chief of Staff, Ibrahim Gambari, lamented ths persistent attacks on education all over the world, including Nigeria.
He said the incessant attacks on the country’s education system such as kidnapping, abduction of pupils/students, increased activities of insurgence and general insecurity in schools have exacerbated many factors responsible for the growing number of Out-of-School Children. 
“It is no longer news that at will, bandits, kidnappers and terrorists invade oureducational facilities to abduct the learners in large numbers. Some places that have been hit by these menace include Chibok, Dapchi, Buni Yadi, Afaka, kagora, and Jangebein Borno, Yobe, Kaduna, Niger and Zamfara states respectively. 
“It is disheartening tonote that even when the abducted students are released the trauma of the incidences remain long in their minds hence the plan to have teachers trained on psycho-social support.
“I must tell you that it has been tough dealing with these security challenges and their effect. Moving forward, our faith in the nation is unshaken. We have been strong, determined and robust in order to enhance the security of learning institutions and the occupants therein,” he said. 
While reaffirming government primary responsibility of protecting and ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education at all levels for all learners, especially those in vulnerable situations, he said Nigeria is committed to observing all relevant international protocols, conventions and treaties for the protection of learning institutions and facilities from attack and any other instrument on education which the country has domesticated.
“The Nigerian Government is highly committed to prioritizing safety in schools to protect investments in the education sector which would validate the endorsement of the SafeSchools Declaration (an inter-governmental political agreement that outlines a set of commitments to strengthen the protection of education from attacks and restrict theuse of schools and universities for military purposes).”
He further urged the remaining member States of UN to quickly endorse the Declaration in course of this Conference, to make all our learning institutions safe abodes for learners.
“It is my belief that this Conference will go a long way to showcasing the Country’s achievements with the support of Education in Emergencies Working Group (EiEWGN) and the relevant Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) working in Nigeria.
“Let me therefore assure you that the Government, relevant security agencies, Education in Emergencies Working Group in Nigeria (EiEWGN), and all the relevant stakeholders will continue to work for the promotion of the objectives of this conference, to endattacks on education and to ensure a safe and enabling learning environment,” he added.
On his part, the Hon. Minister of education, Adamu Adamu, represented by the minister of state for education, Hon. Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba said the conference was apt and timely in view of the prevailing security challenges in the country.
“It is my belief that the outcome of this Conference will help to strengthen and protect the educational system here in Nigeria and be a win for not just Nigeria but for the global community as well.
“It is my utmost belief that in the course of the Conference, Nigeriawill be able to leverage on the best practices in implementing the safeschools Declaration, see how new opportunities of collaborations could beutilized to set up preventive measures and provide response mechanismscapable of having devastating effect on education if not checked,” he added.