In 2014, following the abduction of the Chibok schoolgirls, Nigeria made a promise to its children.
The Safe Schools Initiative was launched to strengthen the security of schools, protect students and teachers, and restore public confidence in education. It represented a national commitment that no child should have to choose between getting an education and staying alive.
Twelve years later, that promise deserves honest reflection.
Across different parts of the country, school abductions continue to occur. Communities still live with the fear that schools could become targets, while many parents send their children to school each morning with uncertainty rather than confidence. Every new attack reminds us that the work of securing our schools remains unfinished.
The question, therefore, is not whether the Safe Schools Initiative was a good idea. It undoubtedly was. The more pressing question is whether it has achieved the objectives for which it was established.
Since its launch, substantial public resources have been committed to improving school security. Additional funding has also been announced through subsequent government programmes and partnerships. Yet Nigerians know very little about the overall implementation of these initiatives, the schools that have benefited, the outcomes achieved, or the lessons learnt over the years.
Accountability should never be mistaken for criticism. Whenever public funds are committed to protecting children, citizens have every right to expect transparency. Government owes the public a clear account of what has been done, what has worked, what has not worked, and what steps are being taken to ensure that Nigerian schools become genuinely safe places for learning.
This conversation goes beyond figures and budgets. It is about children whose education has been interrupted, families living with anxiety, and communities that continue to bear the consequences of insecurity. Every successful intervention means children remain in classrooms instead of captivity. Every failure carries consequences measured in disrupted futures and shattered lives.
At WELA, we believe that protecting schools must remain a national priority rather than a reaction to the latest tragedy. School safety requires sustained investment, effective implementation, regular monitoring and public accountability. It is only through these measures that confidence can be restored and every child given the opportunity to learn in safety.
The future of any nation is shaped in its classrooms. When schools become unsafe, the consequences extend far beyond education—they affect national development, economic growth and social stability.
Twelve years after the Safe Schools Initiative was introduced, Nigerians deserve more than assurances. They deserve to know that the promise made to protect our children is being fulfilled.
Because every child deserves more than access to education.
Every child deserves a safe school.