The Federal Government through the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) has disbursed over N5 billion to 518 communities across the country, under the School-Based Management Committee–School Improvement Programme (SBMC-SIP).

This, it said, is part of broader efforts to strengthen basic education delivery and tackle the challenge of out-of-school children.

Speaking on Thursday in Abuja at the national launch of the 2025 SBMC-SIP rollout, the Executive Secretary of UBEC, Dr. Aisha Garba, stated that the initiative reflects the Federal Government’s strengthened resolve to upgrade school infrastructure, enhance community involvement, and ensure that children not only gain access to education but also stay in school through to completion.

She disclosed that the N5.18 billion earmarked for the 2025 programme will support 518 communities countrywide, with each state and the Federal Capital Territory benefiting from 14 schools.

Represented by the Deputy Executive Secretary (Technical), Rasaq Akinyemi, Garba said the intervention will prioritize underserved areas, focusing on the rehabilitation of dilapidated structures, provision of classroom furniture, and improvement of water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) facilities.

“This represents a renewed national commitment to strengthening community participation in school governance, improving learning environments across the Federation, and ensuring that every Nigerian child not only enrolls in school but remains in school to successfully complete basic education.

“The event brings together four significant moments in one: a review of implementation progress under the 2023 and 2024 SBMC-SIP cycles; the formal disbursement of the final tranche support funds for that cycle; the national flag-off of the 2025 School-Based Management Committee–School Improvement Programme; and the official launch of the Learner Retention Programme.

“Collectively, these actions reflect a deliberate and integrated strategy to strengthen school governance, improve infrastructure, deepen community ownership, and systematically address the barriers that keep children out of school or push them out before completion,” the UBEC boss stated.

She noted that the SBMC-SIP has continued to demonstrate impact as a community-driven initiative, with over 1,112 schools supported across the country and more than N1.5 billion disbursed in previous cycles.

According to her, a total of 13,670 projects have been initiated nationwide, many of which are expected to attract over 400,000 children back to school.

Garba also announced the disbursement of N434.5 million as the final tranche of the 2023 and 2024 SBMC-SIP funds, which will support the completion of 11,484 ongoing projects across the country.

The Commission also used the occasion to unveil the Learner Retention Support Programme, targeting one million pupils across eight states in its first phase, with a budget of N5 billion.

She explained that the initiative is designed to address socio-economic barriers that hinder school attendance, reduce dropout rates, and encourage sustained participation in education.

In his keynote address, the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, described the initiatives as critical components of the Federal Government’s strategy to strengthen basic education and achieve inclusive learning outcomes.

He said the programmes align with national education policies, including the Universal Basic Education Act and the National Policy on Education, as well as global commitments such as Sustainable Development Goal 4.

Represented by the Director, Basic Education, Dr Folake Olatunji-David, Alausa emphasized that the SBMC-SIP promotes decentralization and community ownership of school development, while the retention programme directly targets the reduction of out-of-school children, particularly in high-burden states.

“These initiatives reaffirm government’s commitment to ensuring that every school-age child is enrolled, retained, and able to complete basic education,” he said.

The minister urged stakeholders, including SUBEBs, local authorities, and community leaders, to ensure transparency and accountability in the use of funds, stressing that the success of the interventions depends on effective implementation and monitoring at the grassroots.