NATIONAL POLICY ON ANTI-BULLYING

A Policy prevents and responds to bullying in Nigerian schools to create safe learning environments. It targets students, school administrators, teachers, and parents. This eliminates physical, verbal, and cyberbullying for student well-being.

What Is This Policy?

The National Policy on Anti-Bullying in Nigerian Schools is the Federal Government's dedicated framework for preventing, detecting, responding to, and eliminating all forms of bullying in Nigerian schools — including physical, verbal, psychological, and cyberbullying — to create safe, respectful, and nurturing learning environments for every student.

Who Does It Target?

Students in all federal, state, and private primary and secondary schools School administrators, principals, and teachers as duty-bearers for student safety Parents, guardians, and community stakeholders co-responsible for anti-bullying Unity School principals and headteachers in Federal Government Colleges and JSS schools School counsellors and mental health support staff providing psychological care to affected students

What Does It Aim to Achieve?

Establish Nigeria's zero-tolerance standard on all forms of bullying in schools — physical, verbal, psychological, and cyber Define clear responsibilities for schools, teachers, parents, and students in preventing, detecting, and responding to bullying Create safe, inclusive school environments protecting the mental health, dignity, and academic performance of every learner Align with the National Policy on Safety, Security and Violence-Free Schools (2021) to deliver a comprehensive school safety system

Key Features

Four Forms Covered: Physical bullying; verbal bullying (name-calling, ridicule); psychological/relational bullying; and cyberbullying via social media and messaging National Anti-Bullying Committee: Inaugurated May 2025 to oversee implementation, receive escalated complaints, and coordinate system-wide responses School-Level Protocols: Every school must develop an Anti-Bullying Action Plan and designate a trained Bullying Prevention Officer from its staff Nationwide Sensitisation: Mandatory school and community campaigns educating students, teachers, and parents on bullying recognition and response Reporting Channels: Clear escalation pathway: student → Bullying Prevention Officer → School Principal → LGA Education Authority → FME Graduated Disciplinary Framework: Responses range from counselling and mediation to suspension — matched to severity of the bullying behaviour

Current Status

Rollout Stage: Newly Active — Policy and Implementation Guidelines launched May 2025; National Committee inaugurated concurrently Implementing Body: Federal Ministry of Education; National Anti-Bullying Committee; State Ministries of Education Coverage: National — mandatory for all Federal Government Colleges; State and private schools expected to adopt within 12 months Context: Policy accelerated following high-profile bullying incidents at Federal Government Colleges in late 2024 Funding: FME operational budget; integrated within the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative (NESRI) 2023 funding

How to Access

Students: Report bullying to the designated Bullying Prevention Officer at your school or directly to the State Ministry of Education Parents: Contact school principal if your child experiences bullying; escalate to State Ministry if not resolved within five working days Schools: Download the Implementation Guidelines and school-level policy template from education.gov.ng Contact: Federal Ministry of Education: education.gov.ng | [email protected] | +234 8163653484

Official Resources

Website: education.gov.ng Policy Document: education.gov.ng/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/BULLYING-COMPLETE.pdf Contact: Federal Ministry of Education, Block 5A Federal Secretariat, Shehu Shagari Way, Garki, Abuja Policy Summary | Source: FME, Daily Trust, Leadership Nigeria, Nairametrics, SRJ Legal, UNICEF Nigeria | February 2026

Legal Framework

The National Policy on Anti-Bullying in Nigerian Schools operates under the Child Rights Act 2003, the Compulsory, Free Universal Basic Education Act 2004, and the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act 2015. It aligns with the National Policy on Education, the Safe Schools Declaration, the Cybercrimes Act 2015 (on cyberbullying), and Nigeria's obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (Article 19 on protection from violence).