The Senate has intensified its investigation into the collapse of the Safe School Initiative, summoning key government officials to explain the failure of the $30 million program meant to protect Nigerian schoolchildren from persistent attacks. Among those invited are the Finance Minister and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Wale Edun, Education Minister Tunji Alausa, and Defence Minister Gen. Christopher Musa. They are scheduled to appear before the Senate ad hoc committee on the Safe School Initiative next Tuesday.
Conceived in 2014 amid escalating Boko Haram attacks on schools, the initiative aimed to fortify educational environments nationwide. However, over a decade later, despite significant funding and support, Nigerian schools remain vulnerable, with cases of kidnapping surging.
Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, chair of the committee, expressed dissatisfaction with the continued vulnerability of schools, stating it is unacceptable for educational institutions to remain soft targets for terrorists. Since 2014, over 1,680 schoolchildren have been kidnapped and 180 schools have faced attacks.
Kalu emphasized the committee’s commitment to tracking all funds related to the initiative, including the $30 million mobilized between 2014 and 2021 and the N144 billion recently allocated by the federal government. He stressed that Nigerians deserve transparency regarding how their investment in school safety has been managed.
The ongoing investigation aims to ensure accountability and restore public confidence in the government’s ability to protect its citizens. In addition, the committee will review the deployment of security personnel, evaluate emergency-response systems, and assess infrastructure improvements in vulnerable schools.
The renewed scrutiny comes in the wake of public outrage following recent kidnappings, including the abduction of 25 female students from Government Girls’ Comprehensive Secondary School in Kebbi State and over 200 pupils from St Mary Catholic School in Niger State. These incidents have reignited concerns about the Safe School Initiative’s failure to fulfill its promise of securing educational environments.
