Remodeling Strategic Staff Safety and Security Risks Management in Nigerian Tertiary Institutions

Abstract

This paper examined safety and security risk management in tertiary institutions in Nigeria. The frequent attacks at workplace, especially schools, have placed safety and security in the front burner of discussion in both business and political circles. This therefore, forms the imperative for the conduct of this study. The work adopted a cross sectional survey research design and collected data from respondents who are security personnel of the University of Uyo. Analysis of data was done with simple percentage statistics while the research hypotheses were tested with mean and simple regression and correlation statistics. The findings of the study revealed that assassination, kidnappings and bombings were principal risk incidents threatening the safety and security of staff in University of Uyo. A significant positive relationship was found between the funding of security management and workers’ performance. It was discovered specifically that employment screening, regular training of security personnel, regular safety and security meetings and strategic security policy formation were the main strategies for managing safety and security in University of Uyo. The paper concluded that safety and security management and control involves every worker (management and staff) of University of Uyo. It was recommended, among others, that management should be more committed to safety and security management in the University by means of making safety and security issues an integral part of University’s strategic plan and also by adopting the management line model – one form of management structure-where safety and security are located, with other general management responsibilities. This way, the resurgent cases of kidnapping, hired assassination, etc. would be reduced if not completely eradicated in the University.

Keywords

• staff safety
• staff security
• risk management
• organizational performance