NIGERIA: UBEC to Launch New Funding Template for Basic Education

By Ameenat Hamzat, Lagos, Nigeria 

The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) has announced plans to unveil a new template for the disbursement of counterpart funding to enhance Universal Basic Education (UBE) across the country.

The Executive Secretary of UBEC, Dr. Aisha Garba, made this known on Tuesday during an interactive workshop with State Universal Basic Education Boards (SUBEBs) in Abuja.

Garba explained that the new template aligns with the Federal Government’s commitment to realign basic education delivery with four strategic pillars: expanding access to education for rural and underserved populations, enhancing teaching and learning quality, strengthening accountability in the use of education finances, and optimizing monitoring systems for improved service delivery.

She added that the initiative is part of the “Hope Education Project,” a performance-based program designed to reward states that judiciously apply resources toward achieving the stated goals.

She stated: “In view of this, we are developing new templates to guide SUBEBs in preparing work plans that ensure effective access and utilization of UBE intervention funds.”

Also speaking at the event, UBEC’s Deputy Executive Secretary (General Services), Tunde Ajibulu, who emphasized the importance of the workshop in creating practical and workable templates for the effective implementation of the new education strategy.

He said: “Therefore, this interactive workshop on the New Templates is timely, and we expect you as the implementers of Basic Education in your various states to contribute positively and come up with workable templates.”