The Senate on Tuesday broadened the scope of its ongoing investigation into the Safe Schools Initiative by bringing the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, and the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA) under its probe.
The Red Chamber also extended by three weeks the lifespan of the ad hoc committee handling the investigation to enable it conclude its assignment.
The decision followed a motion sponsored by the Chairman of the Senate Ad hoc Committee on the Safe Schools Initiative, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu (APC, Abia North), who sought an expansion of the committee’s terms of reference under Orders 41 and 51 of the Senate Standing Orders, 2026 (as amended).
Presenting the motion, Kalu said preliminary findings had established strong links between the Safe Schools Initiative and other agencies responsible for educational funding, student welfare, humanitarian interventions and social investment programmes, making a broader investigation necessary.
He argued that restricting the probe to the Safe Schools Initiative alone would deny the Senate a comprehensive assessment of the challenges affecting school security and education interventions across the country.
“The issues surrounding student security, educational infrastructure funding and social intervention schemes for vulnerable learners are deeply interwoven. Investigating the Safe Schools Initiative without reviewing these complementary bodies will result in fragmented legislative oversight,” Kalu said.
He explained that expanding the committee’s mandate would enable lawmakers to produce a comprehensive report capable of strengthening accountability, improving transparency in the management of intervention funds, and enhancing the safety and welfare of students nationwide.
Under the expanded mandate, the committee will scrutinise funding patterns, operational challenges and accountability mechanisms across the Safe Schools Initiative and the affected agencies.
The panel will also review social safety net allocations for school feeding programmes, emergency support for displaced students, and educational rehabilitation initiatives implemented through the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation and NSIPA.
In addition, it will audit TETFund-funded infrastructure and security projects in tertiary institutions, assess NELFUND’s loan disbursement process, operational efficiency and students’ access to education loans, as well as examine UBEC’s interventions in basic education.
Kalu told lawmakers that additional time was required to conclude the investigation because some critical aspects of the assignment remained outstanding due to the committee’s extensive workload and other legislative responsibilities.
“We’re supposed to submit our report, and there are four key areas that were not done. I needed the permission of the Senate so that we can conclude it in the next two or three weeks and come back with a report,” he said.
With the expanded mandate and extended timeline, the committee is expected to present a comprehensive report on the utilisation of education, security and humanitarian intervention funds, with recommendations aimed at strengthening accountability, improving transparency and ensuring the programmes effectively meet the safety, welfare and educational needs of Nigerian students.
