The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) has urged State Governments to urgently access more than N65 billion in outstanding counterpart funding and utilise approximately N267 billion in previously released intervention funds, warning that resources allocated to basic education must translate into tangible improvements in schools and measurable learning outcomes.
Aisha Garba, Executive Secretary of UBEC, disclosed this in Asaba, Delta State, at the opening of the 30th Quarterly Meeting of UBEC Management with Executive Chairmen of State Universal Basic Education Boards (SUBEBs).
The meeting, themed ‘Repositioning Basic Education in Nigeria to Optimise Investment and Impact,’ brought together UBEC management, SUBEB chairmen, education officials and other stakeholders to review progress and challenges in the delivery of basic education across the country.
This was contained in a statement signed by Ikharo Attah, Special Adviser (Media and Communications) on Tuesday.
Garba said states had so far accessed more than N177 billion in UBE Matching Grants, while over N65 billion in counterpart funding remained unaccessed.
She also disclosed that approximately N267 billion in intervention funds already released to states remained unutilised.
The figures, she said, highlighted a major challenge in the basic education sector: ensuring that available resources are not only accessed but effectively deployed to improve infrastructure, teaching and learning.
According to Garba, States must move beyond securing funding to ensuring that resources are properly planned, implemented, monitored and converted into measurable results for children.
The UBEC boss also called for stronger collaboration between state governments and the private sector, development partners and civil society organisations, noting that the scale and complexity of Nigeria’s basic education challenges required broader and more sustainable financing partnerships.
Garba announced the commencement of a review of UBEC’s Ten-Year Strategic Roadmap, which is being extended to cover 2026-2035.
She said the revised roadmap would seek to better align investments, strengthen implementation and respond to the changing needs of the basic education sector.
She also identified the HOPE-EDU Operation as an opportunity to strengthen the systems, institutions and capacity required to deliver sustainable improvements in basic education.
The Executive Secretary urged states to prepare adequately to participate in the programme and maximise the opportunities it provides.
As part of efforts to improve planning and accountability, Garba disclosed that UBEC had developed the Basic Education Action Plan Management System (BEAP-MS).
The digital platform is designed to transform the preparation and submission of state action plans from a largely manual process into a fully digitised system.
According to Garba, the system would improve coordination between UBEC and states, increase efficiency and reduce the need for repeated physical engagements at the Commission’s headquarters.
The move is expected to provide UBEC with more efficient access to information on state-level plans and implementation while strengthening monitoring of education interventions.
Garba also highlighted the Whole School Approach, which she said was repositioning UBEC’s interventions from fragmented projects towards comprehensive school improvement.
Under the approach, investments in classrooms, water, sanitation and hygiene facilities, perimeter fencing, furniture and other essential infrastructure are brought together within selected schools.
The objective, she said, is to create more complete and functional learning environments rather than delivering isolated infrastructure projects without addressing other critical needs within the same school.
Garba also pointed to the successful conduct of the National Learning Assessment, carried out in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Education, as an important source of evidence for future interventions.
She said the assessment would provide credible data to guide targeted interventions, strengthen planning and improve learning outcomes.
Sheriff Oborevwori, Delta State Governor, represented by Monday Onyeme, the Deputy Governor, described education as one of the most strategic investments a nation can make.
He said the value of education should ultimately be measured by the quality of learning delivered, opportunities created and the future secured for children.
Governor Oborevwori said the Delta State Government had prioritised education under its MORE Agenda, supported the Universal Basic Education programme and fulfilled its counterpart funding obligations.
The governor also commended UBEC for approving two additional model SMART Schools for the state, noting that Delta had already provided the required land for the projects.
He highlighted investments in classrooms, perimeter fencing, gatehouses, toilets, solar power facilities, furniture and staff quarters, alongside SMART Schools and technical and vocational education programmes.
According to him, the interventions are aimed at providing safer learning environments while equipping young people with skills needed for an increasingly technology-driven economy.