By Kwin Israel, The Sight News
The Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Dr. Aisha Garba, has called on state governments to urgently draw down over ₦65 billion in unaccessed counterpart funds and deploy approximately ₦267 billion in unutilised intervention capital to revamp Nigeria’s basic education system.
Speaking at the 30th Quarterly Meeting of UBEC Management and SUBEB Chairmen in Asaba, the UBEC boss warned that financial allocations must translate directly into functional classrooms and improved learning outcomes.
While states have accessed over ₦177 billion in matching grants, Dr. Garba highlighted that vast sums remain idle, urging state boards to move from basic resource acquisition to rigorous project execution.
To streamline operations and maximize impact, she announced key structural reforms, including the Basic Education Action Plan Management System (BEAP-MS)—a digital platform replacing manual state action plan submissions and the extension of UBEC’s Strategic Roadmap through 2035.
She also emphasized the adoption of a “Whole School Approach,” which consolidates infrastructure, sanitation, and security upgrades within target schools rather than executing fragmented projects.
Declaring the event open on behalf of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, Delta State Deputy Governor, Sir Monday Onyeme, affirmed the state’s commitment to meeting counterpart funding requirements, pointing to recent investments in SMART Schools, digital infrastructure, and vocational education.
Meanwhile, the Asagba of Asaba, Prof. Epiphany Azinge, urged stakeholders to evaluate success by verified student literacy and competence rather than budget execution metrics, calling for expanded educational access for vulnerable and rural children across the country.
