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.”
The conference convened stakeholders to examine policy responses to school security challenges across the country.
In her presentation, Akin-Alabi said the scale of insecurity in schools required a shift from fragmented responses to a unified national framework.
She proposed what she described as a Unified National School Safety Code backed by law and anchored on three pillars: physical security, psychological safety, and disaster readiness.
According to her, “We selected this theme in response to the alarming rise in school abductions in Nigeria,” adding that “to address the issue meaningfully,” there was a need for a comprehensive and enforceable system.
Akin-Alabi explained that the current approach, which relies on scattered guidelines, was no longer adequate to confront emerging threats in the education sector.
She outlined key elements of the proposed framework, including fortified school perimeters, structured emergency protocols, and the installation of solar-powered satellite panic alarm systems to enable rapid response during emergencies.
“We are looking at stronger physical protection measures, including fortified perimeters, standard emergency protocols, and solar-powered satellite panic alarms,” she said.
She also recommended a decentralised intelligence and response network involving parents, community leaders and local stakeholders, alongside digital auditing systems to monitor compliance and improve response time.
Akin-Alabi further proposed the establishment of a National School Safety Trust Fund, suggesting a funding structure in which “50 per cent is dedicated to kinetic fortification, 40 per cent to technology systems, and 10 per cent to local capacity building.”
She added that implementation should follow a structured model described as S-E-A, meaning Sensitisation, Evaluation and Alignment, supported by stakeholder training and public awareness campaigns.
On governance, Akin-Alabi, a former Special Adviser on Education, Science and Technology in Oyo State, also stressed the need for a single national framework.
“We must establish a Unified National School Safety Code supported by law and overseen by an independent inspectorate,” she said, adding that effective coordination would require “a small, proactive leadership committee of no more than five people, with government taking the lead.”
She also cautioned against poor coordination and duplication of efforts, warning that fragmented interventions weaken national response capacity.
Participants at the conference commended the presentation, describing it as a strong policy blueprint capable of informing national decision-making.
During the interactive session, stakeholders raised questions on funding, implementation across diverse state contexts, and integration with existing education safety policies.
Responding, Akin-Alabi said sustainability would require multi-stakeholder financing, noting that “sustainable funding should come from a mix of government support, private-sector contributions, and development partners rather than relying solely on public funds.”
She also emphasised the role of community participation, stating that alumni associations should be integrated into school governing structures to strengthen oversight and support.
“We must assign clear responsibilities to stakeholders, including alumni through school governing councils,” she said.
Akin-Alabi further called for a secure digital platform to report safety breaches and share ideas, while warning against indiscriminate sharing of sensitive security information on social media.
She said the proposed reforms were designed to move Nigeria’s school safety strategy from reactive responses to preventive systems capable of anticipating threats.
The presentation was widely praised by participants for translating a complex national security challenge into actionable policy proposals.
