The Nigerian Senate on Wednesday inaugurated an ad-hoc committee to investigate the Safe School Initiative, expressing outrage that schools remain vulnerable to attacks despite years of funding, policy commitments, and donor support.
Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, chairman of the 18-member panel, said the upper chamber was determined to uncover why the programme has failed to protect schools from kidnappings, raids, and attacks over the past decade.
Citing statistics, Kalu noted that over 1,680 schoolchildren have been abducted and 180 educational facilities attacked since 2014, describing the situation as “unacceptable for a nation committed to educational development and child safety.”
“It is unacceptable that our schools remain soft targets for terrorists and kidnappers. We will track every naira and every dollar allocated to the Safe School Initiative,” Kalu said. He added that the committee would conduct a comprehensive operational and financial audit, engaging federal ministries, state governments, security agencies, and civil society groups to determine how funds have been spent.
The review will include the utilisation of federal and donor funds, the deployment and effectiveness of security personnel, emergency response systems, and infrastructural upgrades in vulnerable schools. Kalu stressed that the investigation is aimed at restoring credibility to the initiative, not targeting officials.
The Senate’s action follows the abduction of 25 female students at Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, in Kebbi State, an attack that also claimed the life of the school’s vice principal. Lawmakers said the incident underscores gaps in the Safe School Initiative.
Senator Yahaya Abdullahi (APC, Kebbi North) described the attack as “a dirty slap on the face of the nation,” while former Senate President Dr Ahmad Lawan called for a forensic review of the initiative, insisting that “since schools are still not safe for our pupils, we must investigate the funds released and how they were utilised.”
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Senate President Godswill Akpabio appointed Kalu as chairman of the ad-hoc panel last Thursday. Members include Senators Tony Nwoye, Yemi Adaramodu, Harry Ipalibo, Ede Dafinone, Mustapha Saliu, Diket Plang, Binus Yaroe, Kaka Shehu, and Musa Garba Maidoki. The committee is expected to submit its report within four weeks.
Launched in May 2014 after the abduction of the Chibok schoolgirls, the Safe School Initiative was a collaboration between the Nigerian government, the United Nations, and private partners, initially funded with $10 million and expanded to over $30 million between 2014 and 2021. An additional ₦144 billion has been committed by the Federal Government between 2023 and 2026.
Despite these efforts, attacks on schools have persisted, exposing structural weaknesses, poor coordination, and alleged mismanagement of funds. Kalu said the committee’s findings will help “re-engineer” the initiative to make Nigerian schools safe, secure, and conducive for learning.