By Kwin Israel, The Sight News
The Federal Government has inaugurated the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) Ministerial Implementation and Monitoring Committee for Smart Schools, Bilingual Schools and Alternative Schools as part of efforts to ensure that educational infrastructure across the country becomes fully operational and delivers quality learning outcomes.
Inaugurating the committee in Abuja, the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Olatunji Alausa, said the initiative aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which recognises education as a critical foundation for economic growth, national development and social cohesion.
The Minister expressed concern that despite substantial investments in the construction of Smart, Bilingual and Alternative Schools nationwide, several projects remain incomplete, while some completed schools have yet to be handed over to state governments or opened for academic activities.
He stressed that infrastructure alone does not educate a child, noting that completed schools without teachers, students and learning activities remain idle investments.
Dr. Alausa charged members of the committee to work with UBEC, State Governments and State Universal Basic Education Boards to ensure the completion of ongoing projects, provision of furniture and equipment, installation of utilities and internet facilities, deployment of teachers and enrollment of learners.
“The success of this committee will not be measured by the number of meetings held or reports produced, but by the number of schools that become operational and are educating Nigerian children,” he said.
The Minister further stated that the era of declaring projects completed on paper while they remain inaccessible to beneficiaries must come to an end, emphasising that the government is committed to ensuring that every educational investment delivers value.
He commended the Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Said Ahmad, and the management of UBEC for their efforts in expanding access to quality basic education, describing the committee as a collaborative mechanism to maximise the impact of investments in the sector.
Dr. Alausa assured Nigerians that under the Tinubu administration, no educational infrastructure funded with public resources would remain abandoned, idle or underutilised.
He expressed confidence that the committee’s work would significantly contribute to the transformation of basic education and the realisation of the Renewed Hope Agenda in the education sector.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony in Abuja, the Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Dr. Aisha Garba, said the initiative underscores the Federal Government’s commitment, under the leadership of the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Olatunji Alausa, to ensuring that the strategic education interventions are completed on schedule, effectively monitored and fully operational for the benefit of Nigerian children.
She said the three programmes represent some of the Federal Government’s most significant investments in basic education, aimed at expanding access to quality education, promoting digital and innovative learning, and providing educational opportunities for out-of-school children and other vulnerable learners.
She disclosed that under the Smart Schools Programme, 37 Smart Schools have been established across the federation, with 24 already conducting academic activities, while the remaining schools are at various stages of completion, furnishing and operational readiness.
The UBEC boss further revealed that under the UBEC-Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Bilingual Education Programme, 30 schools have been established in nine participating states. Three Bilingual Education Boarding Schools have been completed and commissioned, while four others have reached substantial completion and are being prepared for commissioning.
She noted that significant progress has also been recorded in curriculum development, teacher capacity building, textbook production, procurement of ICT and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) equipment, project coordination and stakeholder engagement.
On the Alternative Schools Programme, Dr. Garba said the initiative is making steady progress in expanding access to education for out-of-school children through flexible and inclusive learning opportunities tailored to the needs of vulnerable learners.
The Executive Secretary explained that the newly inaugurated team would monitor implementation progress, facilitate the timely completion of schools, identify and resolve implementation bottlenecks, promote inter-agency collaboration and ensure that government investments translate into fully functional schools delivering quality education.
She described the team as an important complement to the existing implementation framework and expressed confidence that its work would strengthen coordination among the Federal Ministry of Education, UBEC, State Governments and other stakeholders, while enhancing accountability and accelerating decision-making.
She said the immediate priority of the committee is to undertake comprehensive assessments of project implementation across the country and support efforts to complete all outstanding infrastructure and associated facilities.
She assured the committee of the Commission’s full cooperation and support and commended the Minister of Education, the Minister of State for Education, development partners and other stakeholders for their commitment to improving the quality of basic education in Nigeria.
She urged members of the committee to approach their assignment with professionalism, objectivity and a shared commitment to excellence, expressing confidence that the projects would deliver lasting educational benefits to Nigerian children.
