Senate Expands Safe Schools Probe to TETFund, NELFUND, UBEC, NSIPA, Grants Committee Three-Week Extension

The Senate has expanded the scope of its investigation into the Safe Schools Initiative (SSI) to include 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 upper chamber also granted its Ad-hoc Committee on the Safe Schools Initiative an additional three weeks to conclude the investigation.

The resolution followed a motion sponsored by the Chairman of the committee, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu (APC, Abia North), who sought an extension of time and an expansion of the committee’s terms of reference.

Presenting the motion, Kalu said preliminary findings showed that the implementation and funding of the Safe Schools Initiative were closely linked to several federal agencies responsible for education funding, student welfare, humanitarian interventions and social investment programmes.

He argued that limiting the investigation to the Safe Schools Initiative alone would prevent the Senate from carrying out a comprehensive assessment of issues relating to school security, educational infrastructure and interventions for vulnerable students.

“The issues surrounding student security, educational infrastructure funding and social intervention schemes for vulnerable learners across the country are deeply interwoven.

Investigating the Safe Schools Initiative without reviewing these complementary bodies will result in fragmented legislative oversight,” Kalu said.

He added that broadening the committee’s mandate would enable lawmakers to produce a comprehensive report that strengthens accountability, promotes transparency in the management of intervention funds and improves the protection of Nigerian students.

Under the expanded mandate, the committee will examine financial flows, operational challenges and accountability mechanisms across the Safe Schools Initiative and the affected agencies.

It will also review school feeding programmes, emergency relief interventions for displaced students and education rehabilitation initiatives managed by the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and NSIPA.

In addition, the panel will audit TETFund-funded infrastructure and security projects in tertiary institutions, assess NELFUND’s loan disbursement process, operational efficiency and student access framework, and evaluate UBEC’s interventions in basic education.

Kalu told lawmakers that the committee was unable to complete some critical aspects of its work due to time constraints and other legislative responsibilities.

“We’re supposed to submit our report, and there are four key areas that were not done. I needed the permission of the Senate so that we can conclude it in the next two or three weeks and come back with a report,” he said.

Following a voice vote conducted by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, lawmakers unanimously approved the committee’s request for a three-week extension.

The Senate inaugurated the investigation in December 2025 amid growing concerns over persistent attacks on schools despite years of government funding and security interventions.

The probe gained further urgency after the abduction of 25 female students of Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, Kebbi State, during which the school’s vice principal was reportedly killed by bandits.

The Safe Schools Initiative was established in May 2014 after the abduction of 276 schoolgirls from Chibok, Borno State.

The programme, a partnership involving the Federal Government, the United Nations and private sector stakeholders, was designed to strengthen security around schools, particularly in conflict-prone areas.

The ongoing investigation has already raised questions over the management of funds allocated to the initiative.

During previous hearings, the committee scrutinised the disbursement of ₦15 billion released for the programme in 2023, with the Nigeria Police Force receiving ₦6.225 billion, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) ₦3.362 billion, Defence Headquarters ₦2.250 billion and the Federal Ministry of Education ₦519 million.

The committee also queried alleged financial irregularities and consultancy expenditures linked to the programme and directed the Safe Schools Financing Office to provide a reconciled breakdown of all funds released, expenditures, contractors and supporting documents relating to the Central Bank of Nigeria Trust Fund account.

According to the National Coordinator of Financing Safe Schools in Nigeria, Hajia Halima Iliya, the initiative has received support from both local 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 funding from USAID, the Qatar Foundation and United Nations agencies.

With the expanded mandate, the Senate committee is expected to present a broader assessment of how education and humanitarian intervention funds are being managed and whether existing programmes are effectively addressing the security, welfare and educational needs of Nigerian students.