The Senate has expanded its ongoing investigation into the implementation of the Safe Schools Initiative by extending the scope of the probe to include key education and social intervention agencies, including the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, and the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA).
The resolution followed the approval of a motion moved by the Chairman of the Senate Ad Hoc Committee on the Safe Schools Initiative, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, who requested an extension of the committee’s mandate and an expansion of its terms of reference to enable lawmakers to conduct a more comprehensive review of education-related intervention programmes. The Senate subsequently granted the committee an additional three weeks to conclude its assignment and submit its report.
According to Senator Kalu, preliminary findings from the investigation indicated that issues surrounding school safety, educational funding and student welfare are closely linked with the operations of several federal agencies. He argued that limiting the investigation to the Safe Schools Initiative alone would prevent the National Assembly from obtaining a complete picture of how intervention funds have been utilised to protect learners and improve educational infrastructure across the country.
Under the expanded mandate, the committee is expected to scrutinise financial allocations, project implementation, operational efficiency and accountability mechanisms across the affected agencies. The lawmakers will examine TETFund’s infrastructure and security projects in tertiary institutions, review NELFUND’s education loan disbursement process and accessibility for students, assess UBEC’s interventions in basic education, and evaluate humanitarian and social investment programmes targeted at vulnerable learners.
The investigation will also cover school feeding initiatives, emergency educational support for displaced students and rehabilitation programmes implemented through the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and NSIPA, as lawmakers seek to determine whether public funds earmarked for educational development and student welfare have achieved their intended objectives.
Senator Kalu explained that the committee required additional time because several critical aspects of the investigation remained outstanding due to the complexity of the assignment and the volume of information being reviewed. He maintained that a thorough inquiry would enable the Senate to make informed recommendations capable of strengthening transparency, accountability and the effective management of education intervention funds.
The Safe Schools Initiative was launched in 2014 following the abduction of the Chibok schoolgirls to improve security around educational institutions, particularly in conflict-prone communities. However, recurring attacks on schools, kidnappings of students and teachers, and concerns over the utilisation of intervention funds have continued to generate national debate over the programme’s effectiveness.
The Senate’s decision to broaden the investigation comes amid renewed concerns about the safety of schools following recent attacks on educational institutions in parts of the country. Lawmakers said the expanded probe is intended to identify operational gaps, strengthen oversight and ensure that resources allocated for school security, educational infrastructure and student support are managed transparently and effectively.
Education stakeholders have welcomed the expanded investigation, noting that greater legislative oversight could improve accountability across agencies responsible for educational funding and student welfare. They also expressed optimism that the committee’s recommendations would contribute to safer learning environments and enhance public confidence in government intervention programmes designed to support access to quality education in Nigeria.
