Safe Schools Investigation Expands to TETFund, NELFUND, UBEC, NSIPA

From Our Correspondent

The Senate has expanded the mandate of its Ad-hoc Committee investigating the Safe Schools Initiative (SSI) Programme and granted it a three-week extension to complete its assignment. The probe will now cover the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, and the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA).
The decision followed a motion moved by the Chairman of the Ad-hoc Committee, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu (APC, Abia North), pursuant to Orders 41 and 51 of the Senate Standing Orders, 2026 (as amended), seeking an expansion of the committee’s terms of reference and additional time to conclude its investigation.
Presenting the motion, Senator Kalu said preliminary findings revealed significant links between the implementation and funding of the Safe Schools Initiative and several federal agencies responsible for education funding, student welfare, social intervention programmes and humanitarian support. He explained that investigating the initiative in isolation would provide an incomplete assessment of school security, educational infrastructure and intervention programmes for vulnerable learners.
According to Kalu, the issues surrounding student security, educational infrastructure funding and social intervention programmes are closely interconnected, making it necessary to expand the committee’s mandate to ensure comprehensive legislative oversight. He said the broader investigation would strengthen accountability, safeguard Nigerian students and promote transparency in the management of intervention funds.
Under the expanded mandate, the committee will evaluate financial flows, operational challenges and accountability structures across the Safe Schools Initiative and the affected agencies. It will also examine social safety net allocations linked to school feeding programmes, emergency relief for displaced students and educational rehabilitation initiatives managed by the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation and NSIPA.
The committee will further audit infrastructure and security intervention projects funded by TETFund in tertiary institutions, assess NELFUND’s disbursement processes, operational readiness, administrative efficiency and student access framework, while also reviewing UBEC’s interventions in basic education.
Senator Kalu told lawmakers that time constraints arising from the committee’s extensive workload and other legislative responsibilities had delayed visits to some key locations relevant to the investigation. He requested an additional two to three weeks to complete outstanding aspects of the assignment and present a comprehensive report.
Following the request, Senate President Godswill Akpabio sought the opinion of senators, who overwhelmingly approved the extension through a voice vote, granting the committee three additional weeks to conclude its work.
The Senate inaugurated the Safe Schools Initiative investigation in December last year following growing concerns over persistent attacks on schools despite years of funding commitments and policy interventions aimed at protecting educational institutions. The probe was further prompted by the abduction of 25 female students of Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, Kebbi State, during which bandits reportedly killed the school’s Vice Principal.
The Safe Schools Initiative was launched in May 2014 after the abduction of 276 schoolgirls from Chibok, Borno State. The programme, established as a partnership between the Federal Government, the United Nations and private sector stakeholders, was designed to strengthen security infrastructure around schools, particularly in conflict-prone areas.
The ongoing investigation has already raised concerns over the utilisation of funds released for the programme. During an investigative hearing, the committee questioned the disbursement of ₦15 billion released in 2023, with the Nigerian Police Force receiving ₦6.225 billion, the largest allocation. Other allocations included ₦3.362 billion to the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), ₦2.250 billion to Defence Headquarters and ₦519 million to the Federal Ministry of Education, while the amount released to the Department of State Services (DSS) was not disclosed publicly.
The committee also queried alleged financial irregularities and consultancy expenditures under the programme, directing the Safe Schools Financing Office to submit a reconciled breakdown of all funds released, expenditures incurred, contractors engaged and supporting documents relating to the Central Bank of Nigeria Trust Fund account.
The National Coordinator of Financing Safe Schools in Nigeria, Hajia Halima Iliya, had informed the committee that the initiative received funding from both domestic and international partners, including $10 million each from the Federal Government and Nigerian business leaders, $1 million from the African Development Bank, €2 million from the German Government, $4 million from the Norwegian Government through UNICEF, as well as additional support from USAID, the Qatar Foundation and United Nations agencies.
With the expanded mandate, the Senate Ad-hoc Committee is expected to provide a more comprehensive assessment of how educational and humanitarian intervention funds are being utilised and determine whether existing programmes are effectively addressing the safety, welfare and educational needs of Nigerian students.