Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), has urged the governors of the 36 states and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to utilise N267 billion in released intervention funds and access over N65 billion in counterpart funding available for basic education.

Falana, who is the chairman of the Alliance on Surviving COVID-19 and Beyond (ASCAB), said the funds should be used to ensure that Nigerian children have access to free, compulsory and universal basic education, in line with the law.

He made the call following a disclosure by the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) that about N267 billion in released intervention funds remained unutilised as of August, while over N65 billion in counterpart funding was yet to be accessed by states.

The Executive Secretary of UBEC, Dr Aisha Garba, disclosed this at the opening of a month-long technical capacity-building workshop organised under the World Bank-assisted HOPE-GOV Programme in Abuja. The workshop is aimed at strengthening budget planning and execution for basic education and primary healthcare across the 36 states and the FCT.

Falana’s call comes after the Federal High Court, on November 28, 2025, delivered judgment in Femi Falana & Anor v. Attorney-General of the Federation & 36 Ors (Suit No. FHC/L/CS/142/24), holding that the Federal Government, the 36 state governments and the FCT have a binding legal obligation to provide free, compulsory and universal basic education for every Nigerian child of primary and junior secondary school age.

He said the authorities should fulfil their statutory obligations and respect every Nigerian child’s right to free and compulsory basic education, as guaranteed by the Free, Compulsory Universal Basic Education Act.

Falana also called on the Federal Government to provide at least one meal daily for schoolchildren to improve school enrolment and nutrition, in line with the National Social Investment Programme Agency Act.

With political campaigns ongoing, the ASCAB chairman urged the mass media to challenge all registered political parties and their candidates to make their programmes for implementing the laws on free and compulsory basic education and the school feeding programme public.

He said political parties and their candidates should be required to explain how they intend to ensure that every Nigerian child enjoys the right to basic education and benefits from the school feeding programme.

Falana further called for the removal of school-age children from the streets across the federation and the FCT without further delay, stressing the need to ensure that children are enrolled in school.

He said the country’s enormous resources should be deployed to ensure that every child of school age has access to basic education.