UBEC mobilises over ₦100bn, builds 4,600 classrooms, expands teacher training nationwide

The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) has disclosed that it has unlocked and deployed more than ₦100 billion in previously unaccessed matching grants to improve basic education across Nigeria, with investments directed at school infrastructure, teacher development and digital learning.

UBEC Executive Secretary, Dr Aisha Garba, made the announcement during a media luncheon with education correspondents in Abuja on Thursday, saying the commission’s activities are now driven by its 2025–2031 Strategic Blueprint and aligned with the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

According to Garba, the funds, mobilised in partnership with state governments and the Federal Capital Territory Administration, have already delivered significant improvements in the education sector.

She said UBEC has constructed more than 4,600 classrooms, renovated over 6,100 classrooms, provided 2,780 toilets, drilled 678 boreholes, supplied more than 334,000 pieces of school furniture, and established over 2,300 Early Childhood Care Development and Education (ECCDE) centres nationwide.

“We are moving beyond reforms to delivering measurable results,” she said.

Garba noted that teacher development remains a major priority, revealing that the commission has invested over ₦20.4 billion in professional training programmes aimed at improving classroom instruction, school leadership and accountability through initiatives such as the Effective Schools Programme and strengthened School-Based Management Committees.

She also highlighted UBEC’s drive towards digital transformation, saying the commission is expanding Digital Literacy Centres, strengthening Smart Schools, and introducing training in artificial intelligence, coding and robotics to equip pupils with future-ready skills.

According to her, more than 7.8 million instructional materials have also been distributed across the country to improve literacy, numeracy and foundational learning.

Beyond infrastructure, Garba said UBEC is expanding access to education through Open Schooling, integrating Qur’anic and Tsangaya education, and implementing programmes targeting the girl-child and inclusive education.

She added that institutional reforms are being introduced to improve transparency, project monitoring and data-driven decision-making to ensure value for every investment.

Speaking at the event, Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), FCT Council, Comrade Grace Ike, described the media as critical partners in promoting accountability and transparency in the education sector.

She called for stronger collaboration between UBEC and education correspondents through regular briefings, project inspection visits, training workshops, awareness campaigns and improved access to information.

“Together, we can ensure the story of every Nigerian child’s right to quality basic education is told with accuracy, context and urgency,” she said.

Also speaking, Chairman of the Education Correspondents Association of Nigeria (ECAN), Chux Ukwuatu, urged UBEC to include journalists in field inspections outside Abuja to enable firsthand reporting of projects and improve public understanding of the commission’s interventions.

He said such collaboration would help journalists produce balanced reports that highlight both achievements and existing gaps, ultimately strengthening education programmes across the country.

The engagement marked UBEC’s first formal interaction with education correspondents in over nine years, a development stakeholders attributed to Dr Garba’s commitment to repositioning the commission and expanding access to quality universal basic education in Nigeria.

Participants also acknowledged the role of the Special Adviser on Media and Communications to the Minister of Education, Ikharo Attah, in fostering improved collaboration between the education sector and the media.

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