Ministers Admit Funding Delays in Safe Schools’ Initiative Scheme Amid Senate Probe

Funding delays and fragmented oversight have significantly weakened Nigeria's Safe Schools Initiative, two ministers acknowledged as the Senate intensifies its probe into the program. Billions allocated for school security have been subject to accountability questions, prompting demands for better coordination among ministries, security agencies, and state governments.

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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.

Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, and his Education counterpart, Dr. Tunji Alausa, pledged improved coordination at separate Senate Ad-hoc Committee hearings. This marks a shift from previous fragmentation, with the ministers committing to closer collaboration between their ministries, security bodies, state administrations, development partners, and the National Assembly.

In a significant administrative change, the Safe Schools Initiative has been formally transferred to the Federal Ministry of Education. Previously domiciled in the Ministry of Finance, the initiative will now be managed by a newly established Safe Schools Department within the Education Ministry. Minister Alausa explained that while the initiative was always education-focused, administrative hurdles delayed its transfer.

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Today, the Safe Schools Initiative is officially domiciled in the Federal Ministry of Education. We have also established a dedicated Safe Schools Department to coordinate policy, implementation and monitoring.

Alausa emphasized that the Safe Schools Initiative's scope extends beyond mere physical security. It encompasses broader aspects like perimeter fencing, solar lighting, water and sanitation facilities, security personnel recruitment, technology deployment, and effective monitoring systems. He argued that the Education Ministry is the natural home for the program due to its direct engagement with schools, states, and pupils nationwide, allowing for a more holistic approach to school safety.

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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.