Senate expands safe schools probe to TETFund, NELFUND, UBEC, others

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

The scope of the probe was widened for inclusion of  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 resolution followed a motion moved by the Chairman of the Ad-hoc Committee, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu (Abia North), pursuant to Orders 41 and 51 of the Senate Standing Orders, 2026.

Presenting the motion, Kalu said preliminary investigations revealed significant intersections between the implementation and funding of SSI and several federal institutions responsible for educational funding, student welfare and social intervention programmes.

He argued that investigating SSI in isolation would result in an incomplete assessment of issues relating to school security, educational infrastructure and support for vulnerable learners.

“The issues surrounding student security, educational infrastructure funding and social intervention schemes for vulnerable learners are deeply interwoven. Investigating the Safe Schools Initiative without reviewing these complementary bodies will result in fragmented legislative oversight,” Kalu stated.

Under the expanded mandate, he revealed that the committee would evaluate financial flows, operational bottlenecks and accountability structures across SSI and the affected agencies.

Kalu added that it would also review social safety net allocations connected to school feeding, emergency relief for displaced students and educational rehabilitation handled by the Humanitarian Ministry and NSIPA.

The committee is expected to audit infrastructure and security projects funded by TETFund in tertiary institutions, assess NELFUND’s disbursement processes and student access frameworks, and examine UBEC interventions in basic education.

Kalu lamented that time constraints and other legislative engagements affected planned visits to key locations.

“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,” he said.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio put the request to a voice vote and it was overwhelmingly supported.

The Safe Schools Initiative probe was inaugurated in December 2024 following renewed attacks on schools, including the abduction of 25 female students in Kebbi state where bandits reportedly killed the school’s Vice Principal.