From Kenneth Udeh, Abuja.
The Senate, on Wednesday, formally opened an extensive investigation into the Safe School Initiative (SSI), expressing deep concern over the programme’s failure to curb persistent attacks and mass abductions in Nigerian schools despite years of funding and policy commitments.
Presiding over the inaugural sitting, Chairman of the Ad-hoc Committee and former Abia State Governor, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, vowed that the Senate would unravel all issues surrounding the initiative’s implementation and ensure full accountability.
Senator Kalu noted that over 1,680 schoolchildren have been kidnapped 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. Nigerians deserve to know why, despite enormous investment and global support, our schools remain unsafe ”, Kalu said.
The committee will undertake a comprehensive financial and operational audit, engaging federal ministries, state governments, security agencies, and civil society partners.
Key areas to be reviewed include:
Utilisation of funds allocated since 2014.
Deployment and effectiveness of security personnel.
Early warning and emergency response systems.
Infrastructure upgrades in vulnerable schools.
Partnerships with international donors and private-sector contributors.
Kalu stressed that the probe is not targeted at any individual or institution, but aimed at strengthening accountability.
“This is not a witch-hunt,”.
“We owe Nigerian parents the responsibility to guarantee that their children can pursue education without fear. We will not rest until we get answers ”, he assured.
The investigation follows fresh national outrage triggered by 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 funds for the Safe School Initiative had been used, given the unabated 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 nation that cannot secure its children is not worth living in. This is a wake-up call,” he declared.
Former Senate President and Chairman of the Committee on Defence, Dr. Ahmad Lawan, also called for a full probe.
“Since schools are still not safe for our pupils, we must investigate the funds released and how they were utilized,” Lawan said.
The Senate presided by Godswill Akpabio constituted 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 overhauling the Safe School Initiative.
Launched in May 2014 following the Chibok schoolgirls abduction, the Safe School Initiative was designed as a government–UN–private sector partnership aimed at securing schools in high-risk zones.
Initial funding: $10 million
Funds mobilized between 2014–2021: Over $30 million
Federal allocation (2023–2026): ₦144 billion, according to the ad-hoc committee
Despite these investments, insecurity targeting schools has worsened, prompting renewed scrutiny.
Senator Kalu reaffirmed the committee’s determination to “re-engineer” the programme.
“Our goal is simple: to make Nigerian schools safe, secure, and conducive for learning. Nothing short of genuine accountability will suffice.”
The Senate’s findings are expected to play a critical role in reshaping Nigeria’s national security approach to education.
