The Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Olatunji Alausa, has reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to ensuring the safety of learners across Nigeria while unveiling measures to strengthen the Safe Schools Initiative through improved coordination, accountability and institutional reforms.

Alausa gave the assurance during an interactive session with the Senate Ad Hoc Committee on the Safe Schools Initiative, where lawmakers also commended his commitment to transparency, cooperation with the National Assembly and respect for parliamentary oversight.

The Special Adviser on Media and Communications to the Minister, Mr Ikharo Attah, said in a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday that the session reviewed the implementation of the Safe Schools Initiative, including the utilisation of appropriated funds, international grants and other external support provided for the programme.

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

Kalu also lauded Alausa’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 assured the minister of the committee’s continued support for efforts to improve the safety of schools, teachers and learners nationwide.

Responding to questions from lawmakers, 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, which was responsible for administering the funds, was then domiciled in the Federal Ministry of Finance.

Despite this, the minister stressed that the Federal Government remained committed to 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.

As part of efforts to reposition the initiative, Alausa 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.

He explained that the new department replaces the former unit with a stronger institutional framework, enabling the ministry to coordinate the Safe Schools Initiative through a unified national structure that will strengthen implementation, improve accountability and enhance monitoring across Nigeria’s 774 local government areas.

The minister said the ministry was also collaborating 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 develop and implement a comprehensive national framework for safer schools.

“School safety cannot be handled in a fragmented manner,” Alausa said.

He added: “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.”

According to him, 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, effective monitoring mechanisms and stronger collaboration among the Federal Government, state governments, local communities and security agencies.

He noted that the creation of the dedicated department underscores the commitment of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration to ensuring that every Nigerian child, from foundational to tertiary education, has access to a safe, secure and conducive learning environment.

Alausa 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 across the country.

He assured Nigerians that the Federal Ministry of Education would continue to provide the leadership, policy direction and strategic partnerships needed to build a safer and more resilient education system where every child can learn without fear.