An ad hoc committee set up by the Senate to investigate how the $30 million raised for the Safe School Initiative (SSI) was spent, has invited the Ministers of Finance and Education for explanations.
The funds were raised to secure primary and secondary schools across the country, however attacks on the schools had continued in many states in the north.
The upper chamber said the inquiry had become necessary following persistent attacks, mass abductions, and the alarming failure of the initiative to fulfil its core mandate of protecting Nigerian schoolchildren.
An 18-member ad hoc committee is chaired by the senator representing Abia North, Orji Uzor Kalu.
Kalu, at the inaugural meeting of the committee on Wednesday, said there were observed gaps in funding, implementation, security deployment, and inter-agency coordination that have left schools vulnerable despite huge investments.
Senator Kalu described the growing attacks on educational institutions as unacceptable for a nation committed to educational development and child safety.
According to him, more than 1,680 schoolchildren had been kidnapped in 180 attacks on schools from 2014 to date.
“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.
According to him, the Senate’s investigation will be broad-based and evidence-driven, covering the Initiative’s financial, administrative, and security-related dimensions.
Kalu said stakeholders at the federal and state levels—including ministries, security agencies, donor groups, and civil society partners—will be summoned to account for funds and explain project execution.
The ad hoc committee will review and evaluate the utilisation of funds allocated to the Initiative since its inception in 2014.
It will also appraise the deployment and performance of school security personnel; assessing early warning mechanisms and emergency response systems.
Committee members will also inspect infrastructure upgrades carried out in high-risk schools, and examine the institutional partnerships that have underpinned donor funding and private-sector contributions.
Stating that the investigation would be unbiased, Kalu assured that the Senate was not out to target any individual or institution.
“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,” Kanu said.
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