Women Empowerment and Legal Aid (WELA) has called on the Federal Government to provide a comprehensive account of the Safe Schools Initiative, questioning its effectiveness amid the continued abduction of schoolchildren and attacks on educational institutions across the country.
In a statement issued by its Chairperson, Funmi Falana (SAN), the organisation expressed concern that more than a decade after the initiative was launched following the abduction of the Chibok schoolgirls in 2014, Nigerian schools remain vulnerable to attacks by criminal groups.
WELA said recent incidents involving the kidnapping of schoolchildren have once again exposed the insecurity facing educational institutions and heightened fears among parents across the country.
According to the group, schools are increasingly becoming targets of violence despite significant public and private investments aimed at improving security in the education sector.
The organisation recalled that the Safe Schools Initiative was launched in 2014 with an initial funding commitment of $20 million, comprising contributions from the Federal Government and private sector partners. It added that the programme later received support from international development partners and was further strengthened by the National Plan on Financing Safe Schools (2023–2026), which projected funding requirements of ₦144.86 billion.
WELA, however, questioned what tangible results had been achieved since the programme’s inception.
Citing public reports, the group noted that more than 1,680 schoolchildren have reportedly been kidnapped since 2014, while about 180 educational facilities have been attacked. Other estimates, it said, put the number of abducted students at over 2,000 within the last decade.
“These figures raise legitimate concerns about the implementation, effectiveness, monitoring and oversight of programmes established specifically to protect Nigerian children and secure educational institutions,” the statement said.
While acknowledging the complexity of Nigeria’s security challenges, WELA insisted that public accountability remains essential where funds have been committed to protecting children.
The organisation called on the Federal Government and agencies responsible for implementing the initiative to publicly disclose details of funding, expenditure, project execution and outcomes.
Among other issues, WELA demanded information on the total funding committed to the initiative since 2014, the amount disbursed, schools that benefited from security upgrades, measurable impacts of interventions, agencies responsible for implementation and oversight, as well as the status of annual monitoring and evaluation reports.
The group also asked for the findings of a Senate investigation into the utilisation of Safe Schools funds to be made public.
WELA stressed that its demand was not politically motivated but driven by the need for transparency and accountability.
“Every child has a right to education. Every parent has a right to expect that schools are reasonably safe. Every Nigerian has a right to know whether the commitments made in the aftermath of one of the darkest moments in our nation’s history have translated into meaningful protection for future generations,” it stated.
The organisation urged the Federal Government to publish a comprehensive status report on the initiative, including financial records, implementation outcomes, independent evaluations and future plans for strengthening school security nationwide.
“Nigerian children deserve more than assurances. They deserve results. They deserve safe schools,” WELA said.
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