Senate Commends Alausa as FG Strengthens Safe Schools Initiative

The Senate Ad-hoc Committee on the Safe Schools Initiative has commended the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, for his commitment to accountability and cooperation with the National Assembly, as the Federal Government moved to strengthen efforts to improve safety in schools across the country.

The commendation came during an interactive session held to review the implementation of the Safe Schools Initiative, including the utilisation of appropriated funds, international grants and other external support for the programme.

Chairman of the committee, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, praised the minister for consistently honouring invitations from the National Assembly and engaging constructively with lawmakers in the discharge of their oversight responsibilities.

Kalu also applauded Alausa’s education reforms, describing them as bold initiatives that are helping to strengthen Nigeria’s education system and advance national development. He reaffirmed the committee’s commitment to supporting efforts aimed at improving the safety of schools, teachers and learners nationwide.

Responding, Alausa told the lawmakers that the funds under review, including international grants, foreign donations and appropriated funds, were disbursed years before he assumed office as Minister of Education.

He explained that the Safe Schools Financing Unit responsible for managing the funds at the time was domiciled in the Federal Ministry of Finance.

Despite that, the minister stressed that the present administration remained 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,” Alausa said.

He disclosed that the Federal Ministry of Education had established a full-fledged Safe Schools Department to provide strategic leadership, coordination and oversight of school safety programmes across the country.

According to him, the new department replaces the former unit with a stronger institutional framework that aligns with the ministry’s constitutional responsibility for education policy, implementation and monitoring.

Alausa said the ministry now coordinates the Safe Schools Initiative through a unified national framework designed to improve implementation, strengthen accountability and enhance monitoring of interventions across Nigeria’s 774 local government areas.

He added that the ministry was working 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 and 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,” the minister said.

He explained that while security agencies would continue to perform their constitutional roles, the ministry would provide policy direction, coordinate implementation with state governments and ensure schools benefit from the programme.

The minister noted that the renewed Safe Schools Initiative extends 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 and stronger collaboration among federal and state governments, local communities and security agencies.

He said the establishment of the dedicated department underscores the commitment of President Bola Tinubu’s administration to ensuring that every Nigerian child has access to a safe and conducive learning environment.

Alausa thanked the Senate committee for what he described as its constructive engagement and pledged continued collaboration with the National Assembly, security agencies, state governments and other stakeholders to strengthen accountability and improve school safety across the country.

He also assured Nigerians that the ministry would continue to provide the policy direction and partnerships needed to build a more resilient education system where learners can pursue their education without fear.