By Adesina Wahab & Henry Umoru
Following the recent resurgence in attacks on schools and the abduction of students and teachers, the need to look into the effectiveness or otherwise of the Safe Schools Initiative became imperative and the Senate’s probe of the funding of the scheme necessary.
The scheme came into being after the kidnap of some school girls in Chibok, Borno State in 2014. Records show that about N145 billion was committed to Nigeria’s Safe Schools Initiative between 2023 and 2026, following an initial start of over $30 million raised when the programme was first launched in 2014. Between 2023 and 2026, the Federal Government earmarked N15 billion in 2023 for financing safe schools implementation, with cumulative recent spending and related protection allocations reaching about N145 billion by mid-2026.
However, up until recently, the funds for the scheme were domiciled in the Federal Ministry of Finance. But now, the Federal Ministry of Education, which has set up a Safe Schools Department to handle direct leadership, oversight, and nationwide programme, is taking charge of the disbursement of the funds.
While appearing before the Senate Ad Hoc Committee on the Safe Schools Initiative, the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, requested the transfer of management of the funds to his ministry.
