Nigerian Children Still Being Abducted, What Happened to Safe Schools Initiative? WELA Demands Answers

Women Empowerment and Legal Aid (WELA) has expressed deep concern over the continued abduction of schoolchildren and repeated attacks on educational institutions across Nigeria, questioning the effectiveness of the Safe Schools Initiative launched more than a decade ago to protect students and teachers.

In a statement signed by its Chairperson, Funmi Falana (SAN), the organisation said recent incidents involving the kidnapping of schoolchildren have once again exposed the vulnerability of schools across the country and renewed concerns about the safety of pupils and students.

According to WELA, many Nigerian parents continue to send their children to school without certainty that they will return home safely, despite years of government commitments aimed at strengthening school security.

The organisation noted that beyond statistics and official statements, children and their families continue to bear the devastating consequences of insecurity, while communities live with the fear that schools, which should serve as safe spaces for learning and development, have increasingly become targets of criminal violence.

WELA recalled that the Safe Schools Initiative was established in 2014 following the abduction of the Chibok schoolgirls in Borno State. The programme was launched through a partnership involving the Federal Government, private sector stakeholders and international development partners with the objective of improving school security and ensuring that children, particularly girls, could pursue education without fear.

According to the organisation, the initiative began with an initial funding commitment of $20 million, comprising $10 million from the Federal Government and $10 million from private sector partners.

It added that over the years, the programme reportedly received additional support from international development partners, while the Federal Government later introduced the National Plan on Financing Safe Schools (2023-2026) which projected funding requirements of ₦144.86 billion, including an allocation of ₦15 billion in 2023.

However, WELA said the continued attacks on schools raise serious concerns about the implementation and effectiveness of measures established to safeguard Nigerian children.

The organisation cited public reports indicating that since 2014, more than 1,680 schoolchildren have been kidnapped, while approximately 180 educational institutions have come under attack. Other reports, it noted, suggest that over 2,000 students have been abducted within the last decade, forcing hundreds of schools to shut down due to security threats.

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

While acknowledging the complexity of Nigeria’s security challenges, WELA insisted that such challenges should not become a justification for a lack of accountability.

The organisation argued that where public funds have been committed in the name of protecting children, Nigerians have a right to know how those resources have been spent, what projects have been executed, and whether the intended objectives have been achieved.

WELA therefore called on the Federal Government and all agencies responsible for implementing and overseeing the Safe Schools Initiative to provide a comprehensive public account of the programme from inception to date.

Among the questions raised by the organisation are:

• How much funding has been committed to the Safe Schools Initiative and related programmes since 2014?

• How much of the allocated funds has been disbursed and utilised?

• How many schools have directly benefited from the programme?

• Which schools have received security upgrades and other interventions?

• What measurable reduction in attacks on schools has been achieved through the initiative?

• Which government agencies currently oversee implementation, monitoring and evaluation?

• Where are the programme’s annual implementation and impact reports?

• What became of the Senate investigation into the utilisation of Safe Schools funds, and when will its findings be made public?

WELA stressed that the questions were not politically motivated but rooted in the need for transparency and accountability.

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

The group further argued that every child has a fundamental right to education and every parent has a right to expect that schools are reasonably safe.

According to WELA, Nigerians also deserve to know whether commitments made in the aftermath of one of the country’s darkest tragedies have translated into meaningful protection for future generations.

The organisation warned against treating school abductions as routine news events that briefly capture public attention before fading from national discourse.

“Each incident is a reminder that the work of protecting our schools remains unfinished,” the statement added.

WELA consequently 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,” the organisation said.

“They deserve results. They deserve safe schools. And they deserve a government that is prepared to account for the promises made in their name.”