The Nigerian Senate has extended the investigation into the Safe Schools Initiative by three weeks and expanded the probe to cover several federal agencies linked to education, social intervention and humanitarian support.
The investigation will now include TETFund, NELFUND, UBEC, the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, and NSIPA.
The decision followed a motion moved on Tuesday by the Chairman of the Senate Ad-hoc Committee investigating the Safe Schools Initiative, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, representing Abia North.
Senator Kalu moved the motion under Orders 41 and 51 of the Senate Standing Orders, 2026, as amended.
He told the Senate that preliminary findings revealed links between the Safe Schools Initiative and several federal institutions.
According to him, these institutions play key roles in education funding, student welfare, social intervention programmes and humanitarian support.
He argued that investigating the Safe Schools Initiative alone would not provide a complete assessment of issues affecting school security and education interventions across the country.
Under the expanded terms of reference, the committee will examine security and infrastructure projects funded by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, TETFund, across beneficiary tertiary institutions.
It will also assess the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, NELFUND, including its disbursement process, operational readiness and student access system.
The committee will further examine interventions by the Universal Basic Education Commission, UBEC, in basic education.
The probe will also cover relevant programmes of the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation and the National Social Investment Programme Agency, NSIPA.
The committee is expected to assess how these agencies fund and implement programmes linked to education, school security and support for vulnerable learners.
Following the presentation of the motion, Senate President Godswill Akpabio sought the opinion of lawmakers on the request for more time.
The Senate subsequently approved the request through a voice vote, extended the investigation by three weeks and instructed the committee to submit its report within the approved time frame.
The expanded probe is expected to provide a broader assessment of education funding, school security and intervention programmes across the country.
