The Vice-Chancellor of Lagos State University of Education, LASUED, Professor Bidemi Bilkis Lafiaji-Okuneye, and the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, have called for a stronger security partnership between universities and their host communities to address emerging threats and promote safer learning environment across Nigeria.
The call was made a town-gown security engagement held at the LASUED, Oto/Ijanikin, where stakeholders from academia, security formations, and community leadership gathered to review safety concerns affecting university communities.
“Universities cannot exist as Islands,” Lafiaji-Okuneye warns
She stressed that the sustainability, global relevance, and internal harmony of Nigerian universities depended on a deliberate strengthening of relationships with host communities.
She described the town-gown relationship as a shared responsibility that must be nurtured to guarantee security, stimulate innovation, and safeguard long-term development.
“Universities do not exist as islands. The safety, economic prosperity, and social well-being of our institutions are intricately linked to the wellbeing of the communities that host us,” the Vice-Chancellor said.
“By working together, we create safer campuses, more prosperous towns, and a stable environment where learning, enterprise, and civic life can thrive.”
The V-C noted that rising security challenges, population pressures around campuses, and evolving youth social patterns required a joint response anchored in trust, communication, and shared engagement.
Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun, who delivered a keynote on fostering safer learning environments, reaffirmed the readiness of the Nigeria Police Force to deepen collaboration with tertiary institutions through intelligence-driven operations, community policing initiatives, and prompt response mechanisms tailored to student and staff needs.
He emphasised that strengthening the security architecture of Nigerian universities was essential not only to protect students and staff but also to promote national development.
“The Police will continue to strengthen partnerships with universities to keep students, staff, and residents safe. Safer schools mean safer communities, and safer communities mean a stronger nation,” the IGP stated.
“We must build a collaborative security model that brings university authorities, local leaders, businesses, residents, and law enforcement together as one united front,” he added.
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