The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) says it has unlocked more than ₦100 billion in previously unaccessed matching grants, leading to major investments in school infrastructure, teacher development and digital learning across Nigeria.
Speaking at a media luncheon in Abuja UBEC Executive Secretary Dr Aisha Garba said the commission was implementing its 2025–2031 Strategic Blueprint, aligned with the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda, with a focus on delivering measurable improvements in basic education.
“We are moving beyond reforms to delivering measurable results,” Garba said.
She disclosed that, in collaboration with state governments and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), the commission had built more than 4,600 new classrooms, renovated over 6,100 classrooms, constructed 2,780 toilets, drilled 678 boreholes, and supplied more than 334,000 pieces of school furniture.
Garba also said UBEC had supported the establishment of more than 2,300 Early Childhood Care Development and Education Centres to expand access to quality learning for young children.
She identified teacher quality as a key driver of improved learning outcomes, revealing that UBEC had invested more than ₦20.4 billion in teachers’ professional development.
According to her, the investment supports initiatives such as the Effective Schools Programme and strengthened School-Based Management Committees aimed at improving classroom teaching, school leadership and accountability.
The Executive Secretary said UBEC was also accelerating digital learning through the expansion of Digital Literacy Centres, Smart Schools and training programmes in artificial intelligence, coding and robotics.
She added that the commission had distributed over 7.8 million instructional materials nationwide to improve literacy, numeracy and foundational learning.
Garba noted that UBEC’s interventions extend beyond infrastructure by promoting Open Schooling, integrating Qur’anic and Tsangaya education, supporting girl-child and inclusive education programmes, and strengthening transparency through improved project monitoring and data-driven decision-making.
“Every investment must deliver value for Nigerian children,” she said.
The event also underscored the importance of stronger collaboration between UBEC and the media.
Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), FCT Council, Comrade Grace Ike, described journalists as critical partners in promoting transparency, holding public institutions accountable and highlighting both progress and challenges in the education sector.
She called for regular engagement between UBEC and education correspondents through briefings, project visits and capacity-building programmes.
“Together, we can ensure the story of every Nigerian child’s right to quality basic education is told with accuracy, context and urgency,” Ike said.
She also urged the commission to provide regular press briefings, organise field visits to UBEC-funded projects, improve access to education data, support awareness campaigns and establish feedback channels for journalists.
Also speaking, Chairman of the Education Correspondents Association of Nigeria (ECAN), Chux Ukwuatu, appealed for education reporters to be included in project inspection visits across the country to enable firsthand reporting of UBEC interventions.
“If journalists see projects on the ground, their stories will better reflect successes and gaps alike, informing the public, improving scrutiny and ultimately strengthening programmes,” Ukwuatu said.
The engagement marks UBEC’s first formal stakeholders’ collaboration with education correspondents in more than nine years, with the commission saying it is committed to improving transparency and expanding access to quality universal basic education across Nigeria.
