Senate Expands Safe Schools Probe, Extends Investigation to TETFund, NELFUND, UBEC, Others

The Senate has widened its ongoing investigation into the implementation of the Safe Schools Initiative (SSI), expanding the scope of the probe to include the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), the 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 an additional three weeks to conclude the investigation.

The resolution followed a motion moved on Tuesday by the committee chairman, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu (APC, Abia North), under Orders 41 and 51 of the Senate Standing Orders, 2026 (as amended).

Presenting the motion, Kalu said preliminary findings indicated that the implementation and funding of the Safe Schools Initiative were closely linked to the activities of several federal agencies responsible for education financing, student welfare and social intervention programmes.

According to him, limiting the investigation to the Safe Schools Initiative alone would not provide lawmakers with a complete picture of the challenges affecting school security and educational interventions across the country.

“The issues surrounding student security, educational infrastructure funding and social intervention schemes for vulnerable learners are deeply interconnected. Investigating the Safe Schools Initiative without examining these related institutions will result in fragmented legislative oversight,” Kalu said.

He explained that the expanded mandate would enable the committee to examine financial flows, operational challenges and accountability mechanisms across the affected agencies with a view to strengthening transparency and improving the effectiveness of government intervention programmes.

The committee will also review school feeding initiatives, emergency support for displaced students, educational rehabilitation programmes, infrastructure and security projects funded by TETFund, NELFUND’s student loan disbursement framework, and UBEC’s interventions in basic education.

Seeking an extension of time, Kalu said the committee had yet to complete visits to four critical locations due to its demanding schedule and other legislative responsibilities.

“We were expected to submit our report, but there are four key areas we are yet to cover. We need the Senate’s approval to conclude the assignment within the next two to three weeks and return with a comprehensive report,” he said.

The Senate subsequently approved the request through a voice vote, granting the committee an additional three weeks to complete its work.

The Ad-hoc Committee was constituted in December 2025 to investigate the implementation of the Safe Schools Initiative following renewed concerns over attacks on schools and the abduction of students in parts of the country.

The Safe Schools Initiative was launched in 2014 after the abduction of the Chibok schoolgirls to improve security in schools, particularly in conflict-affected communities, through collaboration between the Federal Government, development partners and the private sector.

The Senate’s expanded investigation is expected to provide a broader assessment of education funding, humanitarian interventions and accountability mechanisms aimed at improving the safety and welfare of Nigerian students.