FG earmarks N3b for rehabilitation of classrooms destroyed by Boko Haram

• UBEC to construct model schools in 774 LGAs

The sum of N3 billion has been approved by the Federal Government to support Northeast states whose education facilities were ravaged by Boko Haram insurgents.

The Executive Secretary, Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Dr. Hamid Bobboyi, who made this known yesterday in Abuja during a chat with newsmen, also noted that the funds will also be used in providing skills acquisition centres in the area.

He said “UBEC has got the approval of the Minister of Education to earmark N3 billion to support the rehabilitation of the basic education sub-sector in the North-East.”

He also noted that arrangements have been concluded with the State Universal Basic Education Boards (SUBEBs) for the establishment of world’s class model schools in all the 774 Local Council Areas in the country.

He explained that the model schools would be fully equipped with facilities, aimed at improving the basic education subsector of Nigeria. The UBEC helmsman said the schools would also be equipped with training facilities to train teachers and administrative staff in their localities.

On the distribution of instructional materials to public schools, the UBEC boss disclosed that arrangements have been concluded to supply the materials according to the need of each state, adding the contracts for the distribution of textbooks are currently undergoing relevant procurement processes.

The Executive Secretary said that N71 billion out of the N371.8 billion made available to state governments by the Commission as education grant has remained unaccessed.

Bobboyi said some states have failed to pay the required counterpart fund to access the money to boost the basic sub-education sector.

According to him, Southwest states with N17.2billion lead with the highest amount of unaccessed funds, followed by North central and Southeast with N14.4 billion and N14 billion respectively.

South south has N10.1billion unaccessed while the Northeast and Northwest have the least with N7.8 billion and N7.2 billion.

While Ondo State has the highest unaccessed N4.6 billion in the coffers of the Commission as at August 21, 2017, Bauchi, Borno, Jigawa, Kaduna, Katsina, Rivers and Sokoto states have the least of N732 million.