The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), in partnership with the Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board (LASUBEB), has flagged off the distribution of 15,675 teaching and learning materials to public primary schools across the 20 local government education authorities in Lagos State.

The flag-off ceremony, held at the LASUBEB multi-purpose hall in Maryland, Ikeja, marked the commencement of a state-wide rollout of instructional resources intended to strengthen basic education delivery in public schools.

In addition to the core teaching and learning materials, the exercise also included the distribution of HOPE EDU instructional materials earmarked for Early Childhood Care, Development and Education (ECCDE), centres and for Integrated Qur’anic Tsangaya Education (IQTE), schools in the state.

The intervention is part of the commission’s nationwide distribution of educational materials under the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

The agenda is focused on expanding access to quality basic education, improving learning conditions, and reducing the number of out-of-school children across the country.

Representing the Executive Secretary of UBEC, the South-West Zonal Director of the Commission, Beatrice Okei, said the distribution reflected UBEC’s commitment to ensuring that every Nigerian child has access to quality, inclusive and equitable basic education.

Okei explained that the commission is currently distributing millions of instructional materials nationwide.

The items include school bags, sandals, textbooks, exercise books, writing materials and sports equipment.

According to her, the provision of these materials is designed to boost school enrolment, reduce the number of out-of-school children, and ease the financial burden on parents who often struggle to provide learning essentials for their children.

She also commended the Lagos State government for its sustained investment in the basic education sector, noting that the partnership between UBEC and LASUBEB has been critical to improving educational outcomes in the state.

Speaking at the event, the Executive Chairman of LASUBEB, Dr Hakeem Shittu, described the distributed materials as strategic investments in the education sector.

He said the resources would strengthen classroom teaching, improve learning outcomes, and provide teachers with the tools needed to deliver quality education effectively.

Shittu reaffirmed the board’s commitment to ensuring that every child in Lagos has access to free and quality basic education.

He said this would be achieved through sustained investment in teaching and learning resources, teacher support, and the monitoring of school activities across the 20 local government education authorities.

On his part, the Lagos State Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Tolani Alli-Balogun, said the intervention demonstrated the strong collaboration between the Federal Government, UBEC and the Lagos State government in advancing the education sector.

Alli-Balogun urged education managers, school administrators and teachers to ensure judicious use of the materials.

He stressed that transparency, accountability and effective monitoring were essential to guarantee that the resources reach their intended beneficiaries and are used for their designated purpose.

According to him, the distribution would contribute to improved teaching and learning in public primary schools and would support broader efforts to build an inclusive and globally competitive basic education system in Lagos and across Nigeria.

The event concluded with a symbolic presentation of the instructional materials to selected pupils.