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Tag: UBE

  • We must double UBE funding to strengthen basic education— Shagaya

    We must double UBE funding to strengthen basic education— Shagaya

    The Deputy Chairman of the House Committee on Universal Basic Education, Hon. Muktar Tolani Shagaya (Ilorin West/Asa, APC), has called on the Federal Government to double the allocation to Universal Basic Education in order to strengthen the foundation of learning across Nigeria.

     He made this call recently while speaking to the press at the Global Roundtable organized by the InnerCity Mission for Children in Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos, held in commemoration of the World Food Day and the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty.

     Shagaya commended the InnerCity Mission for nearly two decades of consistent service to humanity, describing the organization as “a shining example of faith in action, compassion in motion, and partnership with purpose.”

     He praised its efforts in establishing 11 free schools across Nigeria, where children receive not only free education but also free books and daily nutritious meals — a model he said embodies the true essence of breaking the cycle of poverty.

     “I give phenomenal kudos to the InnerCity Mission for Children. I am absolutely blown away by the facilities they have on ground, and the fact that the facilities are absolutely free”, Shagaya said.

     “They have libraries, a skills acquisition centre, ICT classrooms — it is a testament to the great work the InnerCity Mission has been doing. To have about 19 of these facilities, with 11 in Nigeria, is an incredible effort, and I think it’s about time the government steps in to see how they can support such a mission so that more students in vulnerable societies and communities can benefit from this educational process.

     He said, “We will see how, in the 2026 Appropriation Budget Bill, we can find a way to bring in institutions such as the InnerCity Mission.”

     Speaking further, the lawmaker emphasized that education remains the most sustainable pathway out of poverty, and that Nigeria must invest more significantly in inclusive, equitable, and quality education for every child.

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     Shagaya added: “Education cannot thrive in isolation from nutrition and social welfare. A hungry child cannot learn effectively, and a family trapped in poverty cannot fully participate in nation-building.”

     He noted that the House Committee on Basic Education and Services is committed to advancing policies that ensure no child is left behind, while also strengthening partnerships with organizations like the InnerCity Mission that are bridging gaps and reaching underserved communities.

     “The fight against poverty and hunger is not the responsibility of government alone,” he said. “It is a moral obligation shared by all — public and private sectors, civil society, and faith-based institutions alike.”

     Shagaya further urged stakeholders to renew their commitment to building a Nigeria “where no child goes to bed hungry, no child is denied education, and no family is condemned to a life of poverty.”

  • UBE counterpart fund: UBEC to unveil new template for disbursement

    UBE counterpart fund: UBEC to unveil new template for disbursement

    The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) has said it is set to unveil a new template that will address the gaps in the disbursement and access to the Federal Government’s counterpart funding for Universal Basic Education (UBE) programme in the country.

    Its Executive Secretary, Aisha Garba, announced this at a workshop on the new templates for the preparation of work plans to access UBE Intervention Funds yesterday in Abuja.

    The workshop was attended by chairmen of State Universal Basic Education Boards (SUBECs) and desk officers from the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja.

    Garba said the new template was being subjected to further scrutiny and validation at the workshop to remove some of the gaps and encumbrances associated with access to the intervention funds by the state governments, which often led to billions of un-accessed funds.

    The UBEC boss said the Federal Government, through the commission, recently re-aligned the delivery of basic education in line with four strategic pillars to ensure increased access and quality education delivery in states and the FCT.

    The pillars, she said, are: “Expanding access to UBE, especially for rural and underserved population; enhancing quality of teaching and learning nationwide; strengthening accountability and effective use of basic education finances and optimising monitoring and institutional system for quality service delivery.”

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    She added: “Accordingly, the Hope Education Project of the present administration is a performance for reward project for states that apply their resources for education judiciously, especially in achieving the four pillars.

    “Consequently, this has necessitated the need to develop new templates that will enable SUBEBs to prepare work plans for accessing the UBE Intervention Funds in line with the four pillars as well as implementation of the New Hope Projects.”

    The Deputy Executive Secretary, General Services of the Commission, Tunde Ajibulu said the realignment of the delivery of basic education necessitated the need to come up with new templates to access UBE intervention funds.

  • Fed Govt trains 56 UBE effective schools’ master trainers

    Fed Govt trains 56 UBE effective schools’ master trainers

    In a bid to tackle the various challenges facing public primary schools across the country, the Federal Government has begun the training of 56 Master Trainers for the recently launched Universal Basic Education (UBE) Effective Schools Programme.

    They trainees were selected from states across the Southern part of the country, including Kwara and Kogi states.

    Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Dr. Hamid Bobboyi, made the disclosure in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, during the flag off of a five-day training programme for the participants.

    He said the programme marks a significant step towards enhancing educational quality and accessibility in the country.

    Bobboyi emphasised that the programme is part of UBEC’s broader efforts to address the dual challenges of the learning crisis and the high number of out-of-school children.

    He said UBEC has taken steps to achieve an effective UBE programme in 111 schools, adding that there are three UBE Effective Schools per senatorial zones and three in FCT, selected as pilot for the programme.

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    He noted that the training of master trainers is one of the activities in the implementation of the ESP.

    “From here, you will be expected to cascade the training to the teachers in the 111 schools. This is in furtherance of the Commission’s plans to promote smart education at basic education level and lay an enduring foundation for the development of relevant technological skills to cope with the 21st Century world,” he said.

    “The Effective School Programme was designed to progressively improve instructional tools and practices to maximize the potential of both educators and students within the educational system.

    “This initiative introduces a new perspective and practice in learning across the 111 schools previously designated as UBEC E-learning centers.

  • Stakeholders advise Fed Govt onoperation of UBE Act in conflict zones

    Stakeholders advise Fed Govt onoperation of UBE Act in conflict zones

    Stakeholders in the education sector have tasked the Federal Government on the implementation of the 2004 Universal Basic Education (UBE) Act and other educational policies in conflict and protracted crisis zones with the aim to identify the proper meaning of free-education.

    The stakeholders made the demand at a workshop on the implementation of the UBE Act and other educational policies in conflict and protracted crisis zones organised by a non-governmental organisation, Common Heritage Foundation in Abuja.

    Participants at the workshop looked at how access, quality, and continuity of education can be assured in conflict and protracted crisis settings.

    The Senior Special Educationist with the World Bank, Prof. Tunde Adekola said the initiative was timely especially when talking about education, specifically in crisis areas.

    He called for a multi-sectoral approach to address the challenges facing education in conflict zones.

    Adekola said: “And you need the service providers like the state and non-state actors to be able to participate. The non-state actors we are talking about are the community, civil society organisation, private sector, philanthropist, etc. Everybody needs to work together with several other government MDAs, to improve access and universal basic education.

    “Part of the challenges are systemic, we should see how we can involve more partnerships, collaboration and cooperation from all the state actors to be able to focus on the issue of access, quality, equity and so on.

    “The second one is the issue of quality, relevance, not about more money for education, teachers training but about more results, in the learning aspect like how many children can read and write before they get to age nine, how are we reducing the pupil teacher and pupil classroom ratio and so on.

    “We need to set targets and set strategic plans with measurable indicators to be able to know how much that we are making. And then, be able to mobilise more resources from the state to be able to increase their funding to basic education and to be able to see how they can hold people accountable for their actions.”

    Also, an Associate Prof of Law in Nasarawa State University, Keffi, Dr. Halima Doma, said the workshop brought together stakeholders to hear from group of researchers that have worked in the area of education, i.e. Universal Basic Education in Northeast, access to it and to what extent it has been implemented particularly in Adamawa State.

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    Doma, who was the Chairman of the occasion, said Adamawa State was specifically researched on because of the recent attacks on education it has faced.

    The Regional Research Director for International Rescue Committee (IRC) in charge of the project, Prof. Oladele Akogun, said the answer needed now was how the law was being implemented to make sure that people continued to have access to free education and that education was continuing even where there’s conflict and that the quality of education doesn’t change.

    The Programme Manager, Common Heritage Foundation Dr. Adedoyin Adeshina, said that the Education Research in Conflict and Protracted Crisis (ERICC) project was set out to answer just one question of: “How we can improve access, quality and continuity of education in conflict and crisis setting.”