Former Vice President and 2027 presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Atiku Abubakar, has challenged the Federal Government to account for the N144.86bn allocated to the National Plan on Financing Safe Schools amid renewed insecurity and the closure of schools in parts of the country.
Atiku made the demand following reports that insecurity has forced schools to shut down across about 40 local government areas, questioning the effectiveness of the government’s Safe Schools programme.
The former Vice President called on the government to provide a detailed account of how the funds allocated between 2023 and 2026 had been deployed.
He specifically demanded information on the agencies and contractors that received the funds, schools covered by the programme, security infrastructure provided and the measurable results achieved.
Atiku argued that the success of the Safe Schools initiative should be measured by whether Nigerian children can attend school without fear of attacks or abduction.
“Budgeting money is not the same thing as securing schools,” he said, stressing that announcing programmes without protecting pupils and teachers defeats the purpose of the initiative.
The former Vice President also expressed concern over the continued insecurity affecting education, particularly in the North-East, where attacks on schools and abductions have repeatedly disrupted academic activities.
The N144.86bn plan was designed to strengthen security in schools between 2023 and 2026, with the Federal Government initially targeting 50 per cent of the country’s most at-risk public schools.
Atiku therefore urged the Federal Government to publish a comprehensive breakdown of the spending and explain what impact the investment has had on school safety.
