Abuja: The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) has introduced a comprehensive set of national guidelines aimed at enhancing the implementation of inclusive education for children with special needs across the country. This initiative was announced by UBEC’s Executive Secretary, Aisha Garba, through her representative, Deputy Executive Secretary (Technical) Rasak Akinyemi, at a two-day stakeholders’ workshop in Abuja focused on strengthening state actors’ capacity in the effective implementation of inclusive and special education in Nigeria’s basic education institutions.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the guidelines are designed to transform policy into actionable plans, clearly outlining the responsibilities of UBEC and the State Universal Basic Education Boards (SUBEBs). This move aims to equip teachers, school-based management committees, and communities with the necessary knowledge to support the well-being of children with special needs. Garba emphasized that while access to education has
significantly increased, children with disabilities still face considerable barriers to enrollment and learning achievements.
The guidelines include the establishment of practical implementation pathways, monitoring indicators, and institutional coordination mechanisms to ensure sustainable service delivery. International evidence from UNESCO and UNICEF highlights the challenges of inadequate early identification, inaccessible learning environments, and limited teacher preparedness as significant obstacles to inclusive education. The new guidelines set measurable benchmarks for governance, infrastructure, accessibility, teacher competencies, curriculum adaptation, and learner assessment.
Garba also introduced the Functional Difficulty Early Identification Tool to facilitate early detection of developmental challenges among young learners, marking a shift towards preventive and evidence-based educational planning. However, she noted that strong institutional capacity, coordinated implementation, and continuo
us monitoring are crucial for achieving the desired educational outcomes.
UNICEF Education Officer, Mrs. Blessing Afuwai, reiterated UNICEF’s commitment to supporting UBEC in policy formulation and program delivery for children with special needs. She stressed the importance of early identification of learning needs and disabilities and encouraged participants to share the knowledge gained from the training with teachers and education personnel in their respective states.
Dr. Chijioke Onwuzurike, Acting Director of Special Education at UBEC, called for inter-sectoral collaboration to drive the national policy of inclusive education across schools. She highlighted the need for technically competent state actors equipped with practical tools, standardized procedures, and measurable implementation strategies to bridge the gap between policy development and effective service delivery.
Onwuzurike expressed concern over the fragmented service delivery resulting from inadequate coordination across Nigeria’s Early
Childhood Development platforms. She noted the alarming statistics of stunted growth and developmental unpreparedness among Nigerian children, emphasizing the importance of early intervention for optimal outcomes.