On the 18th May, 2022, The Safety Chic convened the sixth edition of the annual School Safety Summit in Lagos, Nigeria. The theme of the Summit was Child Safety: Importance of a Systematic Safety Education. The Summit was attended by teachers, parents, representatives of the DG, Lagos State Safety Commission, Fire Service,  Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN), Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board, safety professionals and concerned members of the public. The DG, Lagos State Safety Commission mentioned that safety was important and must be approached creatively. The Convener, Ugochi Obidiegwu stressed that the theme was important because Safety Education had to be systematic and not just a response to social media trends or news. She urged all stakeholders to take responsibility and be proactive about our children’s safety because children can take action when taught about safety in an age-appropriate manner. This was one of the reasons behind the launch of The Adventures of Muna game app at the Summit. A child safety game app to teach children different safety topics in a way that is memorable and fun.

The Keynote Speaker at the Summit, Dr Ulrike Bollman, Head of International Cooperation, DGUV, Germany shared the strategic plan of the European Network of Education and Training in Occupational Health and Safety (ENETOSH) toward achieving the aim of integrating safety education for children. Dr. Bollman highlighted three fields of action for making safety an integral part of schools: school development, teaching development, and organizational development. She concluded her session with six factors and three principles for a strategic approach. The six factors are language, goals, cooperation, multi-level approach, participation, and resources. Competence Orientation, School Development Approach, and Holistic Prevention are the three principles upon which strategic implementation of safety should be done in schools.

The Summit featured an enlightened panel session with speakers such as Rotimi Eyitayo, Dr Abdoulaye Diallo, Abiola Sanusi, Dr Bisi Esuruoso, and Alpha Djalon. The panelists shared very practical tips and resources with the audience such as the National Policy on Safety, Security and Violence Free Schools and  Minimum Standards of Safe Schools.

See pictures from the Summit.

Every year, the Managing Partner, Ugochi Obidiegwu organises the School Safety Summit for educators in order to bridge the safety education gap. She believes that when educators are equipped they will be able to act effectively in an emergency. The stage is now set for the fourth edition of the annual School Safety Summit with the theme, “First Aid and Casualty Assessment for Educators”. This Summit will hold on the 16th May, 2020. It will feature opening remarks by the DG, Lagos State Safety Commission, Lanre Mojola and a keynote address by Funmi Adegbola, CEO, Combined Training Solutions. The audience will get a chance to participate in a First Aid Masterclass and learn from experts in a panel discussion: Dare Akinfosile, Bola Edwards, Lola El-Imam and Abike Awojobi. The Summit promises to increase the knowledge levels of educators in attendance.

Participants can register at www.schoolsafetysummit.com

My name is Ugochi Obidiegwu also known as “The Safety Chic” on social media because of my work in raising safety consciousness in children and young adults. Every year more than 2 million children under the age of 15 experience accidents in and around the home. We do not have a formal system in our schools to teach children how to safe in different situations ranging from falls, choking, fire, molestation, abduction, poisoning and other related accidents across the continent. Therefore I have decided to create innovative education products and events which will provide the required safety knowledge using interesting methods. I started by visiting schools through my Train Them Young Initiative (#2TYI) and then I self published a child safety story book series on Amazon. There are currently 3 books in The Adventures of Muna story book series and it has sold in 12 states in Nigeria and 9 countries. We are currently adapting the story books to animation to cater to visual learners and reach more children across the continent. Courtesy of the Mandela Washington Fellowship, I am collaborating with a fellow from Guinea, Alpha Diallo to get the story books translated to French so that children in French speaking countries can be carried along too. Every year, we also organise a #MovieDayWithTheSafetyChic for teenagers. Our goal is to keep bringing the safety message to our children using fun methods.

The Mandela Washington Fellowship has helped to increase the reach of my work and that is why I applied for the Reciprocal Exchange to help my peer collaborator and I equip more educators. And we were able to achieve that with the 3 major activities scheduled in our reciprocal exchange.

Every year I organise the annual School Safety Summit as a one day event in Nigeria where stakeholders gather to strategise on safety challenges in the school system and how to manage it. This year courtesy of the Reciprocal Exchange, she was able to organise a more robust programme with her peer collaborator from Phoenix, Kenneth Mims. The theme for this year’s summit was “Safety and Education of the Child with Special Needs” and there were 3 major activities to reach different aspects o the society.

1) The SMS Project

The Safety Mastery for Schools (SMS) project was a dedicated full day training to equip educators with basic knowledge of building a safe and inclusive school system. In line with the theme, they were also taught by other facilitators on how to teach children with autism and cerebral palsy, how to create Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) and how to administer First Aid. Kenneth Mims shared based on his experience with teaching the children in his school for children with autism. Dare Akinfosile handled the first aid practicals, Adelola Edema taught on IEPs while Ugochi Obidiegwu taught them the basic components of building a safety system. The goal is for trainees to be able to train other teachers in their schools.

2) The School Safety Summit

The next day we had the summit which had over 400 participants from across the country. The summit involved a keynote address by Monica Nwosu and a masterclass by AVM Femi Gbadebo on inclusion strategies for schools. There were diverse panel sessions with industry experts speaking on the rights of children with special needs, health management and nutrition, preventing abuse and how to teach children with special needs. The audience got a chance to ask questions and win gifts courtesy of sponsors who donated materials. Feedback from the audience at the event and on social media showed that it was an enlightening event for attendees. We were also able to unveil the third edition in The Adventures of Muna child safety story book series which focused on safety tips and treating children with special needs well. We are grateful for the support of Avi Cenna International Schools, Kids Court School, Cato Foods and Ikeja Electric.

3) Visit to a degree awarding institution

As we planned for the reciprocal exchange, we discovered that there were just 3 degree awarding institutions on Special education in Nigeria. This buttressed the complaints of most teachers that they had no knowledge on how to teach students with special needs because they were not trained in that area. Therefore, we visited the Department of Special Education in the University of Ibadan to meet with the lecturers and students. Our conversation with them showed us the challenges in the education system and we brainstormed on possible solutions and areas of collaboration. We visited the special children unit in the department and donated some of the safety education resources to them and to another primary school on the University premises.

The reciprocal exchange made it possible for us to reach more people, make more impact and discover more areas of collaboration. We will continue to do more to ensure that our schools are safe and inclusive and that our teachers are equipped to do great work

On the 17th May, the second edition of the School Safety Summit themed Emergency Response Preparedness in Schools held. We had safety professionals answering questions on the importance of policies and procedures, basic first aid, training children on safety, preventing abduction in schools and related areas. We had the public presentation and review of the second book in The Adventures of Muna child safety story book series. The Keynote speaker, Taiwo Akinlami shared on the importance of preparedness in child protection. And then we had the panel with representatives of State agencies: Lagos State Safety Commission, Federal Road Safety Corp, Fire Service and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps. They answered questions from  regulatory requirements to preventing accidents with students in school buses, choosing security for schools and important tips to ensure fire safety in school buildings.

Here are some of the things we learned:
Importance of a safety plan
Wherever you see people gathered, you should expect that anything can happen to compromise safety. Safety is for everybody and therefore emergency response plans should be in place. It is imperative for all schools to have a safety plan for the students otherwise there will be penalties. School owners should take safety as seriously as collecting school fees or employing teachers. It shouldn’t be left as a ‘God forbid’ factor.

First Aid knowledge is key
Each school must first decide and know the kind of students they can handle as an institution (special needs or not). Then you must train staff as first aiders to meet the first aid needs of your school population. Children should also be taught as they can save lives too.

Be proactive about fire prevention
Every school must conduct a proper risk assessment to note the possible causes of fire in that particular school environment (quality of material for AC, TV, electrical connection). Depending on the findings of the risk assessment, schools can have a fire alarm system right from the onset, the right fire extinguishers and constantly carry out workplace inspections and audits.

Play your role to prevent child abduction
Teach children to avoid collecting things from strangers. Teach them to scream and flail their arms if someone is trying to take them aware. Ensure that when you drop off your children at school, church or home, they have gone into the building before you drive off as sometimes abductors lurk around gates. Report immediately  you notice a child is missing.

School bus safety is possible
For starters, you need to ensure proper regular maintenance of your school bus. Any school with a minimum of 3 vehicles is a fleet operator and so should be registered as that and comply with safety principles laid down by the Federal Road Safety Commission. Each school bus must have 2 exits and there should always be an assistant in the school bus. Ensure your school bus tyres, brakes and essential parts are in good condition.

School bus drivers play an important role
The safety of children can be compromised by drivers. Therefore it is essential to train and re-train drivers. Schools could sign up with the Federal Road Safety Commission to ensure their drivers are properly trained and can be monitored. Teach drivers that when students alight from school buses, they need to hear the doors get shut first then visually check before they drive off to avoid children getting trapped by the vehicle

There are penalties for failure to comply with set safety standards 
Irrespective of the reasons school owners get into the business of running a school, it is important to find out the necessary safety standards and comply. Schools must ensure that there is an existing safety policy, child protection policy, standard operating procedures that ensure the school is a safe place, periodic evaluation and review. The Lagos State Safety Commission sends consultants to audit schools and it is advised that schools take note and implement recommendations. Failure to comply could result to fine and school shut down but there will be dialogue first to help the school meet up to set standards.

Security of schools should be done by trained professionals
Some times, schools get untrained personnel to man their gates because it is cheap. This could backfire on the schools because usually such persons are not properly trained and you might not have their records to trace them in the case of a problem. Therefore it is important to get security personnel from professional outfits as it reduces the risk associated with random staff at such a sensitive position.

Were you present at the Summit? What other lessons did you learn that are not captured here? Comment below

More pictures from the Summit can be found here

The sequel to the first in #TheAdventuresOfMuna series is out The book had been ready for a while but it was fitting to present on one of our major events the #SchoolSafetySummit.

It is a #ChildSafety #StoryBook with more scenarios of how children can be safe in normal day to day activities.

This kid-to-kid safety guide tackles various aspects of children safety, from preparing for a holiday trip to safety on an airplane to first aid, and going for excursions and field trips. It passes the child safety message with simple language and familiar characters so that your child will both learn and remember.

What is the School Safety Summit?

It is a forum for stakeholders to discuss loopholes in the school safety system and proffer solutions to bridge the gap and keep the children safe.

Who should attend?

It is open to parents, teachers, school owners, representatives of security agencies and concerned citizens

How much is it?

It is free

How can I register?

Register by filling the form here https://goo.gl/vLQXah

Who are the organisers?

Ulomka Multi Solutions Ltd

How many people can attend?

As many as possible

Venue?

Eden Comfort Place, 17 Alade Avenue, off Obafemi Awolowo Way, Ikeja

How do I get there?

Once you get onto Obafemi Awolowo Way, Ikeja, the street directly opposite Lagos Airport Hotel is Alade Avenue. Eden Comfort Place is located at number 17, Alade Avenue.

Time?

9am

Who are the speakers?

The list of speakers will be unveiled as soon as availability is confirmed.

What is the event all about?

It’s about discussing loopholes in the safety of children in school and showcasing innovative solutions to close the gap

What if I want to volunteer at the event?

Please send an email to Ugochi@thesafetychic.com

How do I become a part of The Safety Chic Team?

Please send an email to Ugochi@thesafetychic.com expressing your interest

How can I sponsor the School Safety Summit?

Please send an email to Ugochi@thesafetychic.com to discuss the details of your interest

How can I partner with this event?

Feel free to send an email to Ugochi@thesafetychic.com

Do you run safety training for schools?

Yes, visit www.thesafetychic.com to register. You can also send an email to Ugochi@thesafetychic.com

Do you run safety training for other businesses?

Yes, send an email with the brief to ugochi@thesafetychic.com

Is this an annual event?

Yes

Join us at the second edition of the #SchoolSafetySummit. This edition will feature: – Speeches – Panel discussion with representatives of security agencies – Panel discussion with Safety professionals – Exhibition of Safety tools and educational materials

We want you to know how to get your schools prepared to act in various emergency situations. We want you to know what security agencies expect of you in Emergency Response Preparedness.

It’s a free event but you will need to register here https://goo.gl/vLQXah

Due to rising concerns about safety of children in school, I was invited to do a live video with concerned parents on the @Fabmumng Instagram platform last week. The live video touched on a variety of areas and how we can keep the children safe. Here are slides with brief points on each area that was covered. It has become necessary to share this so that more people can get this information and become proactive.

The time to act is now! Be proactive about safety.

The School Safety Summit 2017 with the theme, “Protecting the Child in School” held on the 17^th May, 2017 at Eden Comfort Place, Ikeja. The Summit was a platform to educate parents, teachers, educators and school owners on the  loopholes in the school safety system and proffer solutions to bridge the gap.

The Summit had senior stakeholders from the Ministry of Education, Lagos State Safety Commission, Federal Road Safety Corps, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and the Nigerian Police in attendance.

The event was put together by Ugochi Obidiegwu also known as The Safety Chic. During her speech, she shared her passion for increasing safety consciousness in individuals and business activities which arose due to illness, deaths and loss of businesses to avoidable causes.

The worrying trends of abduction, illness and death in schools led to organising a Summit to equip educators with more knowledge to keep children in their care safe.

Barrister Taiwo Akinlami, a seasoned total child development expert educated the audience on Child Protection policies and the benefits of implementation. According to him, one of the responsibilities of school owners is to protect the kids placed in their care. He exposed the audience to safety scenarios that are usually taken for granted and proffered solutions on the way forward.

Miss Obidiegwu, in her speech also said safety education should be a formal part of school curriculum and not just advice handed down by parents. She advised schools to take advantage of the free Train Them Young Initiative (#2TYI) her organisation runs to equip students with basic health and safety skills. She also encouraged school owners to put in place necessary safety systems and train teachers to handle different emergency situations because emergencies can happen anywhere and anytime.

Mrs Rhoda Odigboh, a curriculum theorist and one of the panelists suggested that a day should be set aside, where safety scenarios are woven into all subjects. “This would help to impart the right knowledge whilst still teaching the original subjects” she opined.

The School Safety Summit had featured in it a panel discussion featuring Mr Taiwo Akinlami, RonkePosh Adeniyi, Adelola Edema, Rhoda Odigboh, Ugochi Obidiegwu and the Panel moderator Victoria Ibiwoye. The discussion covered areas such as safety education in the school curriculum, protecting special needs kids, efficiency of safety systems in school and importance of safety education. The audience had an opportunity to interact with the different speakers.

Would you like a DVD of the event? Fill the form here

Story By: Stephanie Esiri

Mary has never really been lucky with guys. Emeka, Ebuka’s dad with whom she was separated had filed for a divorce 4 months earlier accusing her of infidelity; a crime she caught him in several times. What got her super confused was how Emeka twisted the story so well that everyone including family members and neighbour’s believed his side of the story.

Mary decided to focus her energy on loving and caring for her only child, Ebuka. Ebuka was the major reason Mary hadn’t lost her mind yet. He was the source of her Joy. Ebuka was 6 years old, very intelligent, understood his mum so well and loved her endlessly.

Mary was always very busy with her job at the bank but she tried her best to be there for her son as much as she could. Mary had a nanny who resumed at 6:30am and closed at 9pm. She was responsible for taking care of Ebuka in Mary’s absence.

One day, while Mary was preparing to leave for work, Ebuka rushed in…. “Mummy, Mummy… Aunty Nkiru told me to….” “Oh! Ebuka baby not now, Mummy is late. I’ll see you when I get back. I love you….” She said as she rushed out.

Mary rushed back home that evening hoping to make it up to Ebuka for running off on him earlier that morning with a cup of his favourite ice cream from Coldstone. On getting home, the place was as quiet as a graveyard. “Where did this people go?” she said out loud as she paced up and down the house.

After waiting anxiously for about an hour she decided to go out and ask the neighbors if they had seen Ebuka and the nanny. The neighbors replied, “oh yes! She tell us say she dey carry am go your office around 7 for morning. Some people from your office come with car come carry am.” “My office?”…she screamed “when? How?” She broke down in tears. “Where will I start from?” she asked herself. The nanny didn’t even have a phone.

The police arrived not long afterwards asking vital questions and they promised to work tirelessly until Ebuka was found.

1 week passed without a clue as to where Ebuka had been taken. Mary was gradually becoming a shadow of herself. While she sat thinking about how empty her life had been without Ebuka in the past few days, her phone rang. It was a private number. “Hello, who am I speaking with?” “It’s Emeka,” the caller replied. “I’m with our son and we are relocating to the U.S tomorrow, thought I should let you know.” “What???” She screamed, “Emeka, you dare not. I’ll hunt you down with the last drop of my blood.” While she was still speaking he hung up. She called the police immediately.

The police started investigation and caught up with Emeka right as he was entering the airport the next day. He was arrested by the police and charged for kidnap. “Mummy, Mummy I missed you,” Ebuka said as he ran to hug his mother. Mary couldn’t stop crying, she couldn’t imagine living without Ebuka. She hugged him really tight.

Mummy remember the morning you were rushing to work? I was about telling you the nanny told me someone was coming to take us out and that I shouldn’t tell you but you didn’t stay back to listen. Mary couldn’t believe her ears. I’m so sorry baby, I was wrong and I promise it will never happen again. I will always stay back to listen to whatever you have to say. You are my world and I love you she said as she pecked him, holding him very close still crying.

Lesson Learned: 1) Pay attention to your kids: their comments, behaviour etc.

2) Teach them safety tips for different emergency situations

Plan to attend the School Safety Summit by registering here https://tinyurl.com/kjmche7  to learn more.