The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) has distributed over N100 billion in previously unaccessed funds to more than 30 states and the Federal Capital Territory. Within one year, these interventions reached 8.7 million learners across Nigeria, the commission's Executive Secretary, Aisha Garba, disclosed on Tuesday in Abuja. The announcement was made during UBEC's 29th quarterly meeting with Executive Chairmen of State Universal Basic Education Boards, themed 'Accelerating Basic Education Performance Through Digitally-Enabled Coordination'. Garba stated that the impact included distribution of instructional materials, improved learning conditions, construction of wash facilities, provision of furniture, and training of nearly 500,000 teachers. She described the past year as a decisive phase in reforming basic education, shifting from routine administration to coordinated, large-scale improvements. Over 95 per cent of projects under the 2025 action plan were completed, reflecting timely delivery, according to Garba. Digitalisation has been central to the reforms, particularly in management and planning processes, with full digitisation of basic education action plans expected by 2026. This will allow real-time access to data on states' needs for stakeholders and development partners. Garba raised concerns about poor infrastructure, citing schools with over 5,000 students and fewer than 10 toilets, calling such conditions unacceptable. Professor Shehu Adaramaja, Chairman of SUBEB in Kwara State and Dean of SUBEB Chairmen, acknowledged the digital reform agenda but highlighted challenges including infrastructure gaps, capacity issues, and electricity problems. He emphasized that technology alone does not ensure coordination, and success depends on alignment and adoption.
Aisha Garba claims 95 per cent of UBEC projects were completed in 2025, yet admits schools still operate with 5,000 pupils sharing fewer than 10 toilets. The scale of infrastructure neglect undermines the assertion that reforms have delivered timely and effective interventions. If basic sanitation remains this dire despite massive funding and digitalisation, the real bottleneck may not be data access but execution at the state level. The 8.7 million learners reached deserve more than digitised promises when their daily reality reflects systemic neglect.
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