Safe Schools Initiative: WELA Demands Answers Over Continued Abduction of Nigerian Children

Women Empowerment and Legal Aid (WELA) has expressed grave concern over the continuing attacks on schools and the recurring abduction of schoolchildren across Nigeria despite the establishment of the Safe Schools Initiative more than a decade ago.

In a press statement signed by its Chairperson, Funmi Falana, SAN, WELA said recent incidents involving the abduction of schoolchildren have once again brought national attention to the vulnerability of schools and the frightening reality that many Nigerian parents still send their children to school uncertain whether they will return home safely.

The organisation said beyond the headlines, statistics and official statements, “real children continue to bear the consequences of insecurity,” adding that families continue to endure anxiety and trauma while communities struggle with the fear that schools, which ought to be places of learning and safety, have become targets of criminal violence.

According to WELA, the Safe Schools Initiative was launched in 2014 following the abduction of the Chibok schoolgirls by the Federal Government, in partnership with private sector stakeholders and international development partners, to improve the security of schools, protect students and teachers and ensure that children, particularly girls, could continue their education without fear.

The group stated that the initiative commenced with an initial funding commitment of US$20 million, consisting of US$10 million from the Federal Government and US$10 million from private sector partners.

It added that over the years, additional funding support was reportedly received from international partners, while the Federal Government subsequently introduced the National Plan on Financing Safe Schools (2023–2026), with a projected funding requirement of ₦144.86 billion and an allocation of ₦15 billion in 2023.

“Twelve years have now passed since the launch of the Safe Schools Initiative. The question Nigerians are entitled to ask is simple: what has been achieved?” WELA asked.

The organisation said public reports indicate that since 2014, over 1,680 schoolchildren have been kidnapped and approximately 180 educational facilities have been attacked.

It added that other reports suggest that more than 2,000 students have been abducted within the last decade, while hundreds of schools have been forced to close due to insecurity.

WELA said the figures raise legitimate concerns about the implementation, effectiveness, monitoring and oversight of programmes established specifically to protect Nigerian children and secure educational institutions.

The organisation acknowledged that Nigeria’s security challenges are complex and multifaceted, but stated that “complexity cannot become an excuse for the absence of accountability.”

“Where public funds have been committed in the name of protecting children, the public has a right to know how those funds have been utilised, what projects have been executed, what outcomes have been achieved, and what lessons have been learnt,” WELA said.

The group called on the Federal Government and all agencies responsible for the implementation and oversight of the Safe Schools Initiative to provide a comprehensive public account of the programme from inception to date.

WELA specifically demanded answers on how much funding has been committed to the Safe Schools Initiative and related programmes since 2014, how much has been disbursed and utilised, the number of schools that have benefited from the programme, schools that have received security upgrades, and the measurable reduction in attacks recorded as a result of the interventions.

It also asked which agencies currently bear responsibility for implementation, monitoring and oversight, where the programme’s annual implementation, monitoring, evaluation and impact reports are, and what became of the Senate investigation into the utilisation of Safe Schools funds.

“The purpose of these questions is not political. It is not partisan. It is not adversarial. It is about accountability,” WELA stated.

The organisation said every child has a right to education, every parent has a right to expect that schools are reasonably safe, and every Nigerian has a right to know whether the commitments made after one of the darkest moments in the nation’s history have translated into meaningful protection for future generations.

WELA urged the Federal Government to publish a comprehensive status report on the Safe Schools 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. And they deserve a government that is prepared to account for the promises made in their name,” the organisation said.