… Bill scales second reading in House
A Bill for the amendment of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) Act to increase its funding from the consolidated revenue from two per cent to four per cent has passed the second reading in the House of Representatives.
The Chairman, House Committee on Basic Education and Services, Bako Useni, disclosed this during the committee’s oversight function at the Digital Resource Center built by UBEC in Abuja on Thursday.
The centre was built for the training of teachers on digital education in Nigeria.
Bako said the 10th National Assembly saw the need to increase financial resources to the basic education sub-sector for set objectives to be met.
Sponsored by Muktar Shagaya from Kwara, the proposed legislation aims to amend the UBE Act, 2004, to increase the share of the consolidated revenue fund allocated for UBEC, from two per cent to four per cent.
This was read for the first time on the floor of the house on November 28, 2023.
Useni said: “The amendment bill which passed the second reading Yesterday (Wednesday) when concluded will make UBEC stronger.
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“Since UBEC was established in 2004 to date, a lot has been achieved. However, the House felt that if UBEC is motivated with more funding, it will go a long way in achieving more of what it has achieved.
“It was on this basis that one of us, Honourable Mukhtar Shagaya proposed an amendment to the UBEC Act to increase funding to UBEC from 2% to 4%/from the consolidated revenue fund.”
He said the committee was happy with the digital resource centre built by UBEC, as it has always been the desire of the committee to ensure that newer dimensions are introduced to the basic education sector in Nigeria.
“It is going to bring a new approach to basic education in Nigeria. It is going to improve teachers’ training and content,” he said
According to him, the committee will ensure continuous oversight function for the sustainability of the Digital Resource Centre like all others under its mandate.