Abuja: The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) has facilitated the mobilisation of more than N100 billion in previously unaccessed matching grants by states and the FCT to upgrade basic education infrastructure nationwide. The Executive Secretary of UBEC, Hajia Aisha Garba, disclosed this on Thursday at a media luncheon with education correspondents in Abuja.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Garba said the funds, which had previously remained unaccessed, were now being deployed to improve learning environments and strengthen basic education delivery across the country. She highlighted that UBEC’s partnership with State Universal Basic Education Boards (SUBEBs) had led to the construction of more than 4,600 classrooms. The partnership also facilitated the renovation of over 6,100 classrooms, provision of 2,780 toilets, and 678 boreholes across schools nationwide.
Garba added that more than 334,000 pieces of school furniture had been supplied to improve learning conditions. She noted that UBEC had supported the establishment of more than 2,300 Early Childhood Care Development and Education (ECCDE) centres, designed to provide young children with a stronger foundation for learning and development.
She elaborated on the commission’s investment of more than N20.4 billion in teacher professional development programmes aimed at improving classroom practice and school leadership. These programmes also promoted accountability through the Effective Schools Programme and strengthened School-Based Management Committees.
The UBEC boss explained that the commission was expanding Digital Literacy Centres, strengthening Smart Schools, and promoting Artificial Intelligence, coding, and robotics to equip learners with skills required in an increasingly technology-driven world. Garba disclosed that over 7.8 million instructional materials had been distributed to support literacy, numeracy, and foundational learning in schools nationwide.
Garba described the media as a critical partner in promoting transparency, accountability, and public awareness of education sector developments. She emphasized the importance of balanced, factual, and constructive reporting to strengthen public confidence and encourage greater stakeholder participation in education. She reaffirmed UBEC’s commitment to ensuring that every Nigerian child had access to safe, inclusive, equitable, and quality basic education.
Discussing funding, Garba stated that Nigeria’s 40 million basic education pupils and millions of out-of-school children required increased investment. She urged states to increase education allocations beyond the proposed five per cent intervention funding and explained that UBEC complemented state funding by addressing critical gaps in basic education delivery.
Garba encouraged states to adopt direct school financing models to empower administrators for minor repairs and essential needs, and called for stronger collaboration among governments, communities, and schools to improve enrolment, maintenance, and learning outcomes.
Earlier, FCT Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Grace Ike, commended UBEC for establishing a communications department, noting the commission’s engagement with journalists as a demonstration of transparency and partnership. She urged UBEC to institutionalise periodic media briefings, organise capacity-building programmes, and facilitate project visits for education correspondents.
Similarly, Chairman of the Education Correspondents Association of Nigeria (ECAN), Chuks Ukwatu, appreciated UBEC for hosting its first direct engagement with education correspondents. He appealed for greater inclusion of journalists in field trips and project inspections outside Abuja to enable more accurate reporting on basic education interventions nationwide.