Women Empowerment and Legal Aid has called for a comprehensive audit of funds allocated to the Safe Schools Initiative, questioning the programme’s effectiveness more than a decade after its launch.
In a statement on Thursday by its Chairperson, Funmi Falana (SAN), the group expressed concern over the recurring attacks on schools and the abduction of students, saying Nigerians deserve an account of how funds earmarked for school security have been utilised.
In 2014, the Safe Schools Initiative was established by the Federal Government in collaboration with private sector stakeholders and international partners following the abduction of 276 schoolgirls from Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State, by Boko Haram.
The programme was designed to strengthen security in schools, protect students and teachers, and ensure uninterrupted access to education, particularly in conflict-prone areas.
According to WELA, despite significant financial commitments to the initiative over the years, schoolchildren remain vulnerable to attacks and kidnappings.
The statement read, “Recent incidents involving the abduction of schoolchildren have once again brought national attention to the vulnerability of our schools and the frightening reality that many Nigerian parents still send their children to school uncertain whether they will return home safely.”
The organisation noted that the initiative commenced with an initial funding commitment of $20m, comprising $10m from the Federal Government and another $10m from private sector partners.
It added that additional support was reportedly received from international development partners, while the Federal Government later introduced the National Plan on Financing Safe Schools (2023–2026), which projected a funding requirement of N144.86bn and received an allocation of N15bn in 2023.
“Twelve years have now passed since the launch of the Safe Schools Initiative. The question Nigerians are entitled to ask is simple: what has been achieved?” the group said.
WELA cited public reports indicating that more than 1,680 schoolchildren have been kidnapped and about 180 educational facilities attacked since 2014.
Other estimates, it noted, suggest that more than 2,000 students have been abducted over the past decade, while hundreds of schools have been forced to shut down because of insecurity.
The organisation said the figures raised concerns about the implementation, monitoring and effectiveness of programmes established to protect children and educational institutions.
While acknowledging the complexity of Nigeria’s security challenges, WELA insisted that public officials must account for resources committed to protecting schoolchildren.
“Where public funds have been committed in the name of protecting children, the public has a right to know how those funds have been utilised, what projects have been executed, what outcomes have been achieved, and what lessons have been learnt,” the statement added.
The group consequently called on the Federal Government and agencies responsible for the Safe Schools Initiative to provide a comprehensive public account of the programme from inception to date.
Among the issues raised by WELA were “the total amount committed to the initiative since 2014, how much has been disbursed, the number of schools that have benefited from security interventions, measurable reductions in attacks on schools, and the agencies responsible for implementation and oversight.”
The organisation also sought the publication of annual implementation and impact reports as well as the findings of a Senate investigation into the utilisation of Safe Schools funds.
The statement read, “The continued abduction of schoolchildren should not be treated as a recurring news cycle that briefly captures public attention before being forgotten. Each incident is a reminder that the work of protecting our schools remains unfinished.”
WELA urged the Federal Government to publish a detailed status report on the Safe Schools Initiative, including financial records, implementation outcomes, independent evaluations and plans for strengthening school security nationwide.
“Nigerian children deserve more than assurances. They deserve results. They deserve safe schools,” the organisation said.
Meanwhile, a safety and education expert has called for the deployment of solar-powered panic alarm systems in schools across Nigeria, as part of broader reforms to address rising cases of school abductions and insecurity.
Dr Bisi Akin-Alabi, Lead Resource at Safe Schools Lagos, made the proposal while speaking at the Renewed Hope Global Town Hall Virtual Conference themed “Safe Schools, Secure Nation: Advancing the Renewed Hope Agenda.”
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