By Haruna Salami and Musa Baba Adamu
The Senate has launched a full-scale investigation into the Safe School Initiative, a program aimed at protecting schools and students from insecurity, following widespread concerns over its effectiveness.
Chairman of the Ad-hoc Committee, Senator Uzor Kalu, has vowed to get to the bottom of the issues plaguing the initiative, stating that despite significant funding and policy frameworks, the Safe School Initiative program has failed to prevent mass abductions and attacks on schools.
“Over 1,680 schoolchildren have been kidnapped and 180 facilities attacked since 2014,” Senator Kalu revealed, citing data that highlighted the gravity of the situation. “It’s unacceptable that our schools remain soft targets for terrorists and kidnappers.”
The committee will conduct a comprehensive financial audit, gathering testimony from relevant stakeholders, including ministers, state governors, and civil society partners. The aim is to assess the operational effectiveness of the Safe School Initiative and identify areas for improvement.
“We will track every naira and every dollar allocated to the Safe School Initiative,” Senator Kalu emphasized. “We want to know why, despite enormous investment and international attention, our schools remain insecure.”
The investigation will also review the implementation of the Safe School Initiative key components, including the deployment of security personnel, early warning systems, and physical infrastructure upgrades.
Senator Uzor Kalu urged all stakeholders to cooperate with the committee, stressing that the investigation is not a witch-hunt, but a genuine effort to ensure accountability and transparency.
“We owe it to Nigerian parents to assure them that their children’s path to education is protected,” Senator Kalu said. “We will not rest until we get answers and make our schools safe and secure.”
The committee is expected to submit its report to the Senate within a specified period, with recommendations on how to re-engineer the Safe School Initiative and ensure that schools are truly safe and conducive for learning.
The investigation comes as Nigeria grapples with a surge in insecurity, particularly in the northern regions, where schools have been targeted by terrorists and kidnappers.
The Safe School Initiative program was launched in May 2014 as a response to the Chibok schoolgirls abduction. It’s a multi-stakeholder partnership involving the Nigerian government, UN, and private sector organizations, aiming to protect schools and students in insecure areas. Initial funding was $10 million, with over $30 million mobilized between 2014-2021.
The government has allocated ₦144 billion for the initiative from 2023-2026 according to the Ad-hoc committees.
