The Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Aisha Garba, has urged state governments to urgently access more than ₦65 billion in counterpart funds and utilise approximately ₦267 billion in intervention funds already released to them.
Garba said the failure to access and effectively utilise available education funds was undermining efforts to improve basic education delivery and learning outcomes across the country.
She spoke in Asaba, Delta State, on Monday at the opening of the 30th Quarterly Meeting of UBEC Management with Executive Chairmen of the State Universal Basic Education Boards (SUBEBs), with the theme, “Repositioning Basic Education in Nigeria to Optimise Investment and Impact.”
According to her, states had so far accessed more than ₦177 billion in UBE Matching Grants, while over ₦65 billion in counterpart funding remained unaccessed. She added that approximately ₦267 billion in previously released intervention funds was yet to be utilised across the states.
Garba said the figures showed that states needed to move beyond accessing funds to ensuring that resources were properly planned, implemented and monitored to produce measurable improvements in schools.
She also called for stronger partnerships between state governments, the private sector, development partners and civil society organisations, stressing that the scale of challenges facing basic education required broader and more sustainable financing.
The UBEC boss announced the commencement of a review of the commission’s Ten-Year Strategic Roadmap, which is being extended to cover 2026–2035.
She said the revised roadmap would align investments with emerging priorities, strengthen implementation and ensure that UBEC’s interventions responded more effectively to the changing needs of the basic education sector.
Garba further said the HOPE-EDU Operation provided an opportunity to strengthen the systems, institutions and capacity needed to achieve sustainable improvements in basic education.
She urged states to prepare adequately to participate in the initiative and maximise the opportunities it offers.
The Executive Secretary also disclosed that UBEC had developed the Basic Education Action Plan Management System (BEAP-MS), a digital platform designed to transform the preparation and submission of state action plans from a largely manual process into a fully digitised system.
According to her, the system would improve coordination between UBEC and the states, enhance efficiency and reduce the frequency of physical engagements at the commission’s headquarters.
Garba said UBEC was also implementing the Whole School Approach to move away from fragmented interventions towards comprehensive school improvement.
Under the approach, she explained, investments in classrooms, water and sanitation facilities, perimeter fencing, furniture and other essential infrastructure would be integrated within selected schools to create more complete and functional learning environments.
She added that the successful conduct of the National Learning Assessment, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Education, would provide credible evidence for targeted interventions, better planning and improved learning outcomes.
Speaking through the Deputy Governor of Delta State, Sir Monday Onyeme, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori described education as the most strategic investment any nation could make.
The governor said the real value of education lay not merely in infrastructure or expenditure but in the quality of learning delivered, opportunities created and the future secured for children.
He said the Delta State Government had prioritised education under its MORE Agenda, supported the Universal Basic Education programme and consistently fulfilled its counterpart funding obligations.
Oborevwori also expressed appreciation to UBEC for approving two additional model SMART Schools for Delta State, noting that the state had already provided the required land.
He listed investments in classrooms, perimeter fencing, gatehouses, toilets, solar power facilities, furniture and staff quarters, as well as SMART Schools and technical and vocational education.
The governor said the interventions were aimed at providing safer learning environments while equipping young people with the skills required for a technology-driven future.
The Asagba of Asaba, Prof. Epiphany Azinge, described investment in education as the highest form of national capital formation, saying the greatest wealth of Nigeria lies in the minds of its children.
Azinge urged UBEC and SUBEBs to focus more on learning outcomes rather than expenditure, stressing that the success of education programmes should be measured by the competencies acquired by children and the futures transformed.
He called for greater attention to inclusive education for girls, children with disabilities, rural and nomadic populations, conflict-affected children and children from economically disadvantaged families.
The Executive Chairman of the Delta State Universal Basic Education Board, in his welcome address, said the hosting of the meeting in Delta State underscored the national importance of basic education and the collective responsibility of stakeholders to strengthen the foundation of the country’s future.
He commended UBEC for its partnership with Delta State, saying the quarterly meeting provided SUBEB chairmen with an opportunity to exchange experiences, identify common challenges and develop practical solutions to improve basic education delivery nationwide.
The D-SUBEB chairman also praised the state government’s efforts to digitalise education and develop SMART Schools, noting that technology was increasingly being used for school administration and monitoring.
He said SMART Board technology and digital monitoring systems were helping to strengthen school oversight and address challenges, including teacher absenteeism.
The meeting, which brings together UBEC management, SUBEB chairmen, education officials, development partners and other stakeholders, is expected to strengthen collaboration, accelerate the utilisation of available resources and improve planning, implementation and accountability in the basic education sector.
UBEC, under Garba’s leadership, reaffirmed its commitment to working with the states to strengthen accountability, improve resource utilisation, expand strategic partnerships and maximise the impact of investments in basic education.
