The Senate Ad-hoc Committee on the Safe Schools Initiative has commended the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, for his commitment to transparency, accountability and respect for parliamentary oversight, as the Federal Government intensified efforts to strengthen the safety of schools across the country.
The commendation came during an interactive session convened by the committee to review the implementation of the Safe Schools Initiative, including the utilisation of appropriated funds, international grants and other external support provided for the programme.
According to a statement by the Special Adviser on Media and Communications to the Minister of Education, Mr. Ikharo Attah, the Chairman of the Committee, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, praised Dr. Alausa for consistently honouring invitations from the National Assembly and engaging constructively with lawmakers in the discharge of their constitutional oversight responsibilities.
Kalu also lauded the minister’s ongoing reforms in the education sector, describing them as bold initiatives that are strengthening Nigeria’s education system and contributing to national development.
He reaffirmed the committee’s commitment to supporting efforts aimed at improving the safety of schools, teachers and learners nationwide.
Responding to the committee, Alausa explained that the funds under review, including international grants, foreign donations and appropriated funds, were disbursed several years before his appointment as Minister of Education.
He noted that the Safe Schools Financing Unit responsible for administering the funds was then domiciled in the Federal Ministry of Finance.
The minister stressed that although the disbursements predated his tenure, the Federal Government remains committed to transparency and accountability in the management of public resources.
“Government is a continuum. We have a responsibility to account to Nigerians for how public resources have been managed, and we will continue to cooperate fully with the distinguished Senate in the discharge of its constitutional responsibilities,” he said.
Alausa disclosed that the Federal Ministry of Education has established a full-fledged Safe Schools Department to provide strategic leadership, coordination and oversight of school safety programmes across the country.
He explained that the new department replaces the former unit with a stronger institutional framework that reflects the ministry’s constitutional responsibility for education policy, implementation and monitoring.
According to the minister, the ministry now coordinates the Safe Schools Initiative through a unified national framework aimed at strengthening implementation, improving accountability and enhancing the monitoring of interventions across Nigeria’s 774 local government areas.
He said the ministry is collaborating closely with the Office of the National Security Adviser, the Department of State Services, the Armed Forces of Nigeria, the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, as well as other relevant agencies, to implement a comprehensive national strategy for safer schools.
“School safety cannot be handled in a fragmented manner. The Safe Schools Initiative has many interconnected components that require a coordinated national approach. While our security agencies will continue to perform their constitutional responsibilities, the Federal Ministry of Education will provide policy direction, coordinate implementation with states and ensure that every school benefits from the programme,” the minister stated.
Alausa explained that the renewed Safe Schools Initiative goes beyond physical security to include perimeter fencing, solar-powered lighting, water, sanitation and hygiene facilities, surveillance technology, trained security personnel, technology-driven early warning systems, effective monitoring mechanisms and stronger collaboration among the Federal Government, state governments, local communities and security agencies.
He said the creation of the dedicated department underscores President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to ensuring that every Nigerian child, from foundational to tertiary education, learns in a safe, secure and conducive environment.
The minister thanked the Senate Ad-hoc Committee for its constructive engagement and reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to working with the National Assembly, security agencies, state governments and other stakeholders to strengthen accountability, improve coordination and deliver sustainable solutions that will safeguard schools and improve learning outcomes nationwide.
