By Ikugbadi Oluwasegun
The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) said it facilitated the release of over N100 billion in previously matching grants not accessed by states and the Federal Capital Territory to improve basic education.
At a media luncheon in Abuja, UBEC Executive Secretary, Aisha Garba, said the funds are being invested in school infrastructure, teacher development, and better learning outcomes.
She said the intervention has supported the construction of more than 4,600 classrooms, renovation of over 6,100 classrooms, provision of 2,780 toilets, 678 boreholes, over 334,000 pieces of school furniture, and the establishment of more than 2,300 Early Childhood Care Development and Education Centres. She added that UBEC has invested over ₦20.4 billion in teacher professional development.
Garba called for increased investment in basic education, saying Nigeria’s more than 40 million basic education pupils and millions of out-of-school children require greater funding.
She urged state governments to raise education allocations beyond the proposed five per cent intervention funding.
FCT NUJ Chairman Grace Ike commended UBEC for creating a communications department and urged the commission to sustain regular media engagements, organize capacity-building programmes, and support project visits for education correspondents.
ECAN Chairman Chuks Ukwatu called for greater inclusion of journalists in field inspections to enhance accurate reporting on basic education interventions nationwide.
