KEY POINTS

• The Senate expanded its probe into the safe school initiative.

• Key ministers will testify on safe school initiative spending.

• Lawmakers say the safe school initiative failed its mandate.

Nigeria’s Senate has stepped up scrutiny of the Safe School Initiative after years of stalled progress and rising security threats, demanding clarity on how the $30 million programme failed to shield schoolchildren from violent attacks.

Lawmakers called in senior government officials to account for the collapse of a scheme once backed by global partners and expected to secure learning spaces nationwide.

Safe school initiative audit intensifies

Among those summoned are the Finance Minister and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Wale Edun, Education Minister Tunji Alausa, and Defence Minister Gen. Christopher Musa.

The summons came from the Senate ad hoc committee on the Safe School Initiative, led by Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, after the panel adopted its work plan during its first sitting. The ministers have been scheduled to appear before the committee next Tuesday.

The Safe School Initiative began in 2014 when Boko Haram’s assaults on education facilities surged. It was designed to create safer environments through stronger infrastructure, tighter security and partnerships between government and donor groups. Ten years later, schools remain exposed.

Kidnapping cases have climbed. Communities continue to report that classrooms are unprotected despite repeated funding cycles.

Speaking after the committee’s inauguration, Kalu said the Senate intends to reveal why the Safe School Initiative fell apart even with major international and domestic support.

He pointed to more than 1,680 kidnapped schoolchildren and at least 180 attacks since 2014 as evidence of the programme’s breakdown. He said the panel will follow the trail of spending without hesitation.

Funding gaps hit safe school initiative

According to Punch, Kalu noted that the committee will review every budget line tied to the Safe School Initiative, including the $30 million raised between 2014 and 2021 along with the N144 billion released most recently.

He added that Nigerians are entitled to answers on why schools remain unsafe despite large-scale investment. The committee plans a full audit of finances and operations and will work with federal ministries, state governments, security agencies and civil society partners.

He stressed that the investigation is aimed at restoring trust, not punishing individuals. He said the Senate owes families a clear explanation of why students remain at risk.

The broader probe will examine how funds were spent, how security deployments were managed, the strength of early-warning systems and emergency responses, and the extent of infrastructure upgrades in high-risk areas.

It will also review ties with donors and private-sector groups. School proprietors and other stakeholders will testify before the panel as well.

Public pressure has intensified since the recent abduction of 25 female students in Kebbi State and more than 200 pupils in Niger State.

The attacks renewed anger over how, a decade later, the Safe School Initiative still cannot meet its core promise of protecting children inside their classrooms.