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…Agencies contribute N3.31bn for Safe Schools Initiative
By Uche Usim
The federal government has earmarked N1.3 trillion for police formations and commands, a figure analysts said was inadequate but better than previous provisions and signals commitment to sustaining the nation’s primary law enforcement apparatus while introducing targeted initiatives to protect citizens and modernise the force.
This comes as various government agencies contributed N3,316,416,944 for the Safe Schools Initiative, a strategic attempt at safeguarding schools from terrorists onslaught and derailing learning at various levels.
The police formations and commands (Code 0155004001) will receive a total allocation of N1,302,630,676,404, distributed across personnel costs, overhead and capital expenditures.
Unsurprisingly, the bulk of the budget, N1,183,242,631,967, is dedicated to personnel, emphasizing that manpower remains the backbone of policing operations nationwide.
Overhead costs account for N71,183,449,597, covering the daily running of police commands. Key line items include uniforms (N8,845,506,526), maintenance of vehicles (N4,756,523,694), welfare packages for officers (N2,124,804,356), aircraft upkeep (N2,596,497,579), medical expenses and supplies (N862,610,650) and food and catering materials (N398,747,519). Recruitment and appointments across the service wide command are also funded with N2,910,720,515.
The capital budget, totaling N48,204,594,840, focuses on long-term modernisation. Construction and provision of police stations and barracks receive N16,381,645,279, while infrastructure projects grab N13,015,298,776. Security equipment procurement accounts for N11,004,944,044, trucks for N2,840,596,480, and research and development for N3,228,916,944.
The Safe Schools Initiative receives N3,228,916,944 under the police formations and commands, making it the single largest allocation within the program.
The wider Safe Schools effort is supported across multiple government arms. The Ministry of Defence has allocated N7 million to implement the Global Safe Schools Declaration (SSD) in Armed Forces schools.
The Federal Ministry of Finance headquarters has earmarked N10.5 million for a Safe School Project, while localised interventions, such as a N70 million capacity-building workshop for traditional rulers in Katsina State, aims to empower community leaders in protecting schools.
Other significant security projects in the police budget focus on modernisation and rapid response. The purchase of armoured Toyota Hilux vehicles with gun points is funded with N3.5 billion, while smart e-policing infrastructure receives N361 million. Capacity-building programmes on anti-terrorism and anti-kidnapping are funded with N259 million, and command and control centre expansions in Lagos, Kaduna, Port Harcourt, and Jigawa account for N3,061,415,568.
