UBEC Reports 8.7 Million Learners Benefit from Basic Education Reforms

The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) has reported that 8.7 million learners across Nigeria have benefited from improved learning conditions and instructional materials as part of ongoing reforms in the basic education sector.

Dr. Aisha Garba, Executive Secretary of UBEC, disclosed this during the opening ceremony of the 29th Quarterly Meeting of UBEC Management with Executive Chairmen of State Universal Basic Education Boards (SUBEBs) in Abuja. The event, themed “Accelerating Basic Education Performance Through Digitally Enabled Coordination,” brought together key stakeholders to assess progress and chart the future of basic education delivery.

Garba said the achievements stem from the coordinated implementation of reforms under the 2025–2031 Strategic Blueprint, which aims to strengthen education delivery nationwide. She noted that over 244,000 teachers have been trained in inclusive pedagogy and digital literacy to improve teaching quality and learning outcomes.

According to her, UBEC’s renewed approach has repositioned the commission beyond a funding institution to a system enabler focused on alignment, accountability, and measurable impact across states.

“Over the past year, we have entered a decisive phase in the evolution of the Universal Basic Education (UBE) programme,” Garba said. “Throughout 2025, our focus shifted from diagnosing systemic challenges to implementing coordinated, large-scale reforms under the 2025–2031 Strategic Blueprint. This transition reflects our renewed role, not only as a funding institution but also as a systems enabler, driving alignment, strengthening delivery, and ensuring that impact is felt across all states.”

She added that sustained data-driven advocacy enabled the commission to unlock over N100 billion in previously unaccessed matching grants, with 30 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) currently accessing basic education funds. Revised Matching Grants Guidelines have also been finalised to ensure transparency, efficiency, and improved utilisation of education resources.

Garba further revealed that procurement performance improved significantly, recording a 95 per cent completion rate for 2024 projects, resulting in timely delivery of interventions nationwide. She emphasised that digitisation remains central to UBEC’s reform agenda through the Digitalisation of Public Schools Initiative, implemented in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Education. This initiative has expanded access to digital learning platforms, strengthened teachers’ digital capacity, and enhanced classroom instruction through interactive content.

She urged SUBEB chairmen to institutionalise digital systems in planning, monitoring, and implementation processes to strengthen accountability and improve learning outcomes.

Also speaking at the event, the Kwara SUBEB Chairman, Shehu Adaramaja, emphasised the urgent need for education stakeholders to adopt digital tools to strengthen coordination and improve policy implementation in Nigeria’s basic education sector. Adaramaja said digital tools are no longer optional in coordinating activities between the UBE programme and state education boards, warning that fragmented communication and delayed processes often weaken even well-designed policies.

On his part, the UNICEF Education Manager, Jutaro Sakamoto, called for the training and retraining of teachers to enhance optimal performance. He also pledged UNICEF’s continued support to the universal basic education sub-sector in the country.