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.

Alausa who spoke before the Senator Orji Uzor Kalu,  APC,  Abia North-led Committee, said that in preparation for the Ministry to be in charge of the programme,  a full-fledged Safe Schools Department has been set up in the Federal Ministry of Education.

According to him, the  Federal Government has mapped out stronger measures  for safe schools initiative in the country with planned involvement of security agencies  in ensuring safety and security of teachers and pupils in schools across the 774 local government councils. Alausa at the Interface, disclosed that the ministry was working with security agencies to develop a comprehensive national framework for school safety.

Alausa said his ministry had initiated reforms to restructure the Safe Schools Initiative, saying: “We have now established a full-fledged Safe Schools Department within the Federal Ministry of Education. Previously, there was only a small unit, but we felt that was inadequate considering the importance of school safety.

“We are collaborating closely with the Office of the National Security Adviser, the Department of State Services, the Armed Forces, the Nigeria Police and other security agencies to develop a comprehensive Safe Schools framework. School safety cannot be handled in a fragmented manner.

“Safe Schools is much broader than physical security. It includes perimeter fencing, solar-powered lighting, water and sanitation facilities, recruitment of school security personnel, deployment of technology and the establishment of effective monitoring systems.”

Alausa who noted that emphasis is being placed by the Ministry on the  need for central coordination of the initiative, said: “There are many components of the Safe Schools Initiative, and they require a central command-and-control structure. While the security agencies will continue to perform their constitutional duties, the Federal Ministry of Education will provide policy direction, coordinate implementation with states and ensure that every school benefits from the programme,” he assured. 

“Although these transactions predated my appointment, government is a continuum. We have a responsibility to account to Nigerians for how public resources were managed.”

Alausa who agreed that discussions relating to school security required caution, said: “The issues surrounding Safe Schools financing are highly sensitive. We have terrorists, bandits and other criminal elements who deliberately target vulnerable members of our society. We must therefore avoid discussing operational security matters in public.”

The Minister who revealed that shortly after assuming office, he formally requested that the programme be transferred, saying: “When I became Minister of Education, I wrote to the then Minister of Finance requesting that the Safe Schools financing structure be moved to the Ministry of Education. Although there was support for the idea, administrative constraints delayed the process.

“Since I assumed office, the only significant disbursements have been targeted interventions to security agencies, including the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps. Those payments were administered through the Federal Ministry of Finance.

“We have now established a full-fledged Safe Schools Department within the Federal Ministry of Education. Previously, there was only a small unit, but we felt that was inadequate considering the importance of school safety which made us to seek for domiciling  management of the fund in the Education Ministry, “ he said.

But in a separate interview ,  the Minister of Finance, Mr Taiwo Oyedele, told journalists that the issue of management of the fund between his Ministry and that of Education was not a big one as it would be sorted out. According to him, the most important thing about the scheme is to keep the schools safe and secure across the country .

“ For  us it’s not so much of who is controlling the budget, that’s not even very important and the government policies has, for example, if you have service-wide votes or you have interventions, by law it’s the Ministry of Finance that will manage it because Minister of Finance acts as the accountant for the country. Under  that  we also have the office of the accountant general. So, between us we’ll sort out those issues. 

“What is even the priority for us is how do we ensure that the funding is adequate and the monies are released on time so that some of these crimes can be prevented rather than us trying to do damage control”, he said .

We are after judicious use of the funds – Parents 

Speaking in an interview with Thursday Learning, the National President of the National Parent Teacher Association of Nigeria, NAPTAN, Alhaji Haruna Danjuma, said the concern of parents is not where the funds are kept, but their judicious use.

“ We are after the judicious use of the funds. We must make all efforts to keep our schools safe for learners, teachers, and other stakeholders. Whether the Ministry of Education or that of Finance takes charge of the funds, let them use the money well. The funds must get to those who are to utilize them. 

“ We want PTA in schools, School Based Management Committees, community leaders, the appropriate security agencies to be involved in the use of the funds. The money must be used for the intended purposes. It is not such funds that should be misapplied or frittered away. We all saw the recent upsurge in the attacks on schools and how some students and pupils were traumatized along with their teachers. Some pupils and students are still in captivity. The Safe Schools Initiative must work, that is our take,” he said.