Education Ministry pushes for control of Safe Schools funds as government strengthens measures to protect pupils, teachers and school facilities
The Federal Government has unveiled new measures to strengthen the Safe Schools Initiative, with increased collaboration between the Ministry of Education and security agencies to safeguard pupils, teachers and school facilities across Nigeria.
Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, disclosed the plans while briefing journalists after an interface with the Senate Ad Hoc Committee on the Safe Schools Initiative.
Alausa said the ministry is working with the Office of the National Security Adviser, the Department of State Services (DSS), the Armed Forces, the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies to develop a comprehensive national framework for school safety.
He explained that the initiative goes beyond physical security to include perimeter fencing, solar-powered lighting, water and sanitation facilities, recruitment of school security personnel, technology deployment and effective monitoring systems.
The minister stressed the need for a central command structure, saying the Federal Ministry of Education should provide policy direction and coordinate implementation with state governments.
He also called for the transfer of the management of Safe Schools funds from the Federal Ministry of Finance to the Ministry of Education to improve implementation, revealing that the ministry has established a full-fledged Safe Schools Department to replace the former unit.
According to Alausa, the only major disbursements made under the initiative since he assumed office were targeted interventions to the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps through the Ministry of Finance.
Responding to concerns over the management of the fund, Minister of Finance Taiwo Oyedele dismissed suggestions of a dispute between the two ministries, saying the issue would be resolved administratively.
Oyedele said the government’s priority is to ensure adequate funding and timely release of resources to strengthen school security and prevent attacks on educational institutions nationwide.