By Peter Omopo
The Senate on Wednesday intensified its investigation into the collapse of the Safe School Initiative, summoning top government officials to explain why the $30 million programme has failed to protect schoolchildren from recurring attacks across the country.
Appearing before the Senate ad hoc committee next Tuesday are the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Wale Edun; Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa; and Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa (retd.).
The summons followed the adoption of the committee’s work plan during its inaugural sitting. The committee is chaired by Senator Orji Uzor Kalu (Abia North).
A Decade of Funding, Rising Insecurity
Launched in 2014 at the height of Boko Haram’s assaults on schools, the Safe School Initiative was designed to fortify educational facilities and safeguard students nationwide. Despite substantial local and international funding—millions of dollars and billions of naira—school attacks and mass abductions have surged instead of declined.
Speaking after the inauguration, Kalu expressed frustration over the programme’s failure.
“It is unacceptable that our schools remain soft targets for terrorists and kidnappers,” he said, revealing that more than 1,680 students have been kidnapped and 180 schools attacked since 2014.
Kalu vowed that the panel would track “every naira and every dollar” allocated to the initiative, including the $30 million raised between 2014 and 2021 and the recently approved N144bn released by the Federal Government.
Probe to Focus on Finances, Operations, and Accountability
The Senate committee will conduct a sweeping review of the Safe School Initiative, assessing:
- How funds have been utilised since 2014
- Deployment and effectiveness of security personnel in vulnerable schools
- Early-warning and emergency-response systems
- Implementation of infrastructure upgrades
- Collaboration with international donors and private-sector partners
Beyond ministers and security chiefs, school proprietors and other stakeholders are expected to testify before the panel.
According to Kalu, the probe seeks to uncover systemic failures and restore accountability—not to target individuals.
“The committee owes Nigerian parents the responsibility of ensuring their children can pursue education without fear,” he said.
Public Outrage Fuels Inquiry
The Senate’s renewed scrutiny follows widespread outrage over recent mass abductions, including:
- The kidnapping of 25 female students at Government Girls’ Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, Kebbi State
- The abduction of more than 200 pupils from St. Mary Catholic School, Niger State
The attacks have reignited questions about the effectiveness of the initiative ten years after its launch, and why Nigerian schools remain dangerously exposed despite significant funding and global support.
The committee’s findings are expected to shape future policy directions on school security and determine whether the Safe School Initiative can be revived—or must be redesigned entirely.
