Senate Expands Safe Schools Initiative Probe Scope

On Tuesday, the Senate expanded the mandate of its Ad-hoc Committee investigating the Safe Schools Initiative (SSI) and granted a three-week extension to conclude its assignment. The expanded scope now includes 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).

Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, Chairman of the Ad-hoc Committee, stated that preliminary investigations indicated significant connections between SSI's implementation and funding from various federal institutions. He emphasized that investigating SSI alone would not provide a complete understanding of issues related to school security and educational infrastructure.

The committee will evaluate financial flows, operational challenges, and accountability across SSI and the involved agencies, as well as review allocations for school feeding and support for displaced students. The Safe Schools Initiative probe was initiated in December 2024 following attacks on schools, including the abduction of 25 female students in Kebbi State.