The Northern Christian Youth Professionals (NCYP) has raised concerns over the effectiveness of the Safe Schools Initiative (SSI) following a resurgence of student kidnappings across northern Nigeria.
In a statement signed by its Chairman, Isaac Abrak, the group decried the recent attacks on schools, which have led to killings and mass abductions, and questioned the visibility and impact of the SSI and its partnership with the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
Referencing the abduction of more than 200 students from Government Primary and Secondary School, Kuriga, Kaduna State, NCYP urged President Bola Tinubu to recruit local residents—particularly those in communities surrounded by forests—into a Forest Guard system to protect schools and other vulnerable locations.
NCYP noted that although the SSI later announced its partnership with the NSCDC to secure high-risk schools, this differed from the group’s earlier recommendation for community-based security. The organisation said it nonetheless welcomed the initiative but is now compelled to ask what role the partnership played in preventing the recent attacks on Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, Kebbi State, and St. Mary’s School, Agwara LGA, Niger State.
“These painful incidents demand accountability,” the group stated, as lives were lost and several children abducted in the attacks.
The group also highlighted the substantial funding the SSI has received since its inception after the 2014 Chibok school abduction, including:
-
$10 million from private sector partners,
-
About $10 million pledged by the Federal Government,
-
$4.2 million in additional FEC-approved support,
-
$2 million each from the U.S. and Qatari governments.
Despite donations exceeding $20 million, NCYP argued that the initiative has been “largely silent” while schools remain under threat.
The organisation called for a comprehensive public report detailing the SSI’s activities, programme expenditures, implementing partners, and impact assessments. NCYP said transparency is vital to restoring confidence among potential donors and strengthening efforts to protect children, especially girls, in vulnerable northern states.
The group reaffirmed its call for President Tinubu to fully implement the approved Forest Guard programme, stressing that community members are the most reliable defenders of their own schools and children.
“It is parents who will show the vigilance and courage needed to protect their communities,” NCYP emphasised, insisting that the Forest Guard structure must remain community-driven rather than bureaucratic.
NCYP also appealed to U.S. President Donald Trump, the U.S. Congress, and the American public to support Nigeria’s efforts to establish a community-led Forest Guard capable of securing rural communities and combating violent groups operating from forested regions.
