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ABUJA, Nigeria - The Federal Government has allocated N2.035 billion to 1,147 school-based management committees throughout 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
This announcement coincides with the launch of the Universal Basic Education (UBE) School-Based Management Committee-School Improvement Programme and the Teacher Professional Development (TPD) initiatives. These efforts are aimed at enhancing the basic education sector in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Education Minister Dr. Tunji Alausa made this statement on Monday in Abuja during the national flag-off of the UBE School-based Management – School Improvement Programme (SBMC-SIP), which included the public presentation of implementation guidelines and the start of teacher professional development programs.
Minister Alausa highlighted six key areas to propel the education sector renewal initiative, which include increasing enrollment, decreasing the number of out-of-school children, improving technical and vocational education, promoting girl-child education, and reinforcing quality assurance.
To execute these initiatives, the Minister indicated that the Ministry intends to: construct 7,200 new UBE facilities, supply 1,680,000 pieces of furniture, renovate 195,000 classrooms, install 22,900 water boreholes and 28,000 toilets, and provide fencing for 14,000 schools. He urged states and local governments to optimize Federal Government support and inject local funding into the SBMC-SIP for a more significant impact.
He remarked, “While the Federal Ministry of Education enhances its efforts in gathering resources to realize these ambitions, it also acknowledges the necessity of improved partnerships and collaborations with all stakeholders in every aspect of education service delivery.”
In her comments, Aisha Garba, the Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), noted that despite a seven percent increase in enrollment from 2016 to 2021, approximately 17 million children, predominantly from rural and low-income areas, remain out of school.
She mentioned that the government is initiating an effort to distribute N2.035 billion to 1,147 school-based management committees across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
“Our basic education sector has made progress, but significant gaps remain. Even though enrollment increased by 7 percentage points between 2016 and 2021, access to education has not widened for all; about 17 million children are still out of school particularly in rural and low-income regions. Additionally, only 9 percent of children aged 7–14 in rural areas exhibited age-appropriate reading skills.
“These figures are more than mere statistics—they represent a urgent call for focused investments in infrastructure and teacher development to ensure equitable access throughout Nigeria.
A total of N2.035 billion will be allocated to 1,147 school-based management committees across all 36 States and the FCT under the SBMC-SIP. These funds will support 15,155 improvement projects, including classroom renovations to create conducive learning environments, furniture provision, WASH facilities, and security enhancement measures.”
