The Tertiary Education Trust Fund is developing a comprehensive security master plan to strengthen safety across tertiary institutions nationwide.

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

Masari warned that campuses have increasingly come under threats ranging from banditry and kidnapping to cyberattacks, saying the master plan would boost prevention, detection and response measures across institutions.

He described the workshop as a critical national document that would shape campus security policies and operations.

He said, “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.

“This master plan is expected to establish a security of time framework for all time-sharing institutions to transcend institutional capacity for threat prevention, detection, mitigation and response.

“It is to promote intelligence-led security operations and proactive risk management, protect students, staff, facilities, infrastructure and intellectual assets.

“We intend to deepen collaboration between institutions, security agencies and host communities, institutionalised emergency preparedness, crisis management and business continuity protocols and integrate modern, physical and digital security technologies into campus operation.”

Masari said the deliberations at the workshop would form the building blocks of a national framework that would guide campus security policies and investments for years.

The Executive Secretary of TETFund, Sonny Echono, said many campuses remained porous and had become attractive targets for criminals.

He recalled a previous mapping exercise which identified high-risk areas and established mechanisms for emergency response, but stressed the need for stronger coordination among security agencies.

He also stressed the importance of clear communication channels to alert and respond to security breaches, involving agencies such as the military, the police, and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.

“We need to sensitise every one of you that this risk is real. There are criminal elements who want to invade our campuses because they provide a particular attraction as a result of a huge collection 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.