Senate Opens Investigation Into Safe School Initiative

The Senate has commenced a far-reaching investigation into the Safe School Initiative (SSI), voicing strong concern over the programme’s inability to prevent recurrent attacks and mass abductions in Nigerian schools despite years of funding and policy commitments.

At the inaugural sitting, Chairman of the Ad-hoc Committee and former Abia State Governor, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, pledged that the Senate would uncover all issues surrounding the initiative’s execution and ensure complete accountability.

Kalu highlighted that more than 1,680 schoolchildren have been abducted and 180 educational facilities attacked since 2014, describing the trend as unacceptable for a country committed to education and child safety.

“It is unacceptable that our schools remain soft targets for terrorists and kidnappers,” he said.

“We will trace every naira and every dollar allocated to the Safe School Initiative. Nigerians deserve to know why schools remain unsafe despite massive investment and global support,” Kalu added.

The committee is set to carry out a comprehensive financial and operational review involving federal ministries, state governments, security agencies, and civil society organisations.

Key areas of focus include:

Utilisation of funds allocated since 2014

Deployment and efficiency of security personnel

Early warning and emergency response mechanisms

Infrastructure improvements in vulnerable schools

Collaboration with international donors and private-sector partners

Kalu emphasised that the inquiry is not directed at any individual or organisation but is aimed at improving transparency and strengthening accountability.

“This is not a witch-hunt,” he said.

“We owe Nigerian parents the duty to ensure their children learn without fear. We will not relent until we get answers.”

The investigation follows renewed public outrage after the recent abduction of 25 female students from Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, in Kebbi State, where bandits also killed the school’s vice principal.

During plenary, lawmakers questioned how SSI funds had been utilised in light of ongoing attacks.

Senator Yahaya Abdullahi (APC, Kebbi North), who raised an urgent motion on the incident, described the attack as “a dirty slap on the face of the nation.”

“A country that cannot secure its children is not worth living in. This is a wake-up call,” he said.

Former Senate President and Chairman of the Defence Committee, Dr Ahmad Lawan, also demanded a thorough probe.

“Since schools remain unsafe, we must examine the funds released and how they were spent,” Lawan stated.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio set up an 18-member ad-hoc committee chaired by Senator Orji Uzor Kalu. Members include Senators Tony Nwoye, Yemi Adaramodu, Harry Ipalibo, Ede Dafinone, Mustapha Saliu, Diket Plang, Binus Yaroe, Kaka Shehu, and Musa Garba Maidoki, among others.

The committee has four weeks to submit a detailed report and recommendations for revamping the Safe School Initiative.

Established in May 2014 after the Chibok schoolgirls abduction, the Safe School Initiative was conceived as a government–UN–private sector partnership to protect schools in high-risk regions.

Initial funding: $10 million

Total funds mobilised (2014–2021): Over $30 million

Federal allocation (2023–2026): ₦144 billion, according to the committee

Despite these investments, school-related insecurity has escalated, prompting renewed scrutiny.

Kalu reiterated the committee’s resolve to “re-engineer” the programme.

“Our objective is clear: to ensure that Nigerian schools are safe, secure, and conducive for learning. Only genuine accountability will be acceptable.”

The Senate’s findings are expected to significantly influence Nigeria’s approach to securing its educational environment.

James Itodo, Edited By Grace Namiji