The Federal Ministry of Education has denounced what it describes as a coordinated smear campaign targeting the Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Aisha Garba, calling recent allegations against her “baseless, misleading, and malicious.”

The Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, issued a statement on Tuesday condemning the actions of a group known as the Education Rights Activists Coalition (ERAC), which had accused Garba of administrative misconduct and disregard for the rule of law. The Ministry dismissed these claims, asserting they were the work of “disgruntled individuals” attempting to derail the progress being made in Nigeria’s basic education sector.

Dr Alausa praised Mrs Garba as an internationally respected expert in education reform, with over 24 years of professional experience, including a significant 15-year stint at the World Bank. Under her leadership, the Ministry stated, UBEC has recorded transformative achievements. Thousands of classrooms have been newly constructed or renovated, while early childhood centres have been established across the nation. Millions of textbooks and school furniture units have reached underserved communities, and the scale of teacher training under her tenure has reached unprecedented levels. Nearly one million educators have benefitted from the country’s most extensive teacher development initiative.

A landmark reform of the national curriculum is also underway, incorporating digital literacy and entrepreneurship in collaboration with the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council. Additionally, in the area of public finance and transparency, the Ministry highlighted that ₦78.6 billion was accessed through the Basic Education Action Plan and Matching Grant Formula by 28 states and the Federal Capital Territory in 2024 alone.

Dr Alausa stressed that under Garba’s leadership, there have been no recorded financial infractions. He argued that the attacks on her are not only unprovoked but also counterproductive to the Renewed Hope Agenda, which seeks to overhaul Nigeria’s education system and create more equitable access to quality schooling.

In a show of widespread support, the Education & Tech Coalition of Activists and Social Entrepreneurs issued a joint statement applauding President Bola Tinubu for bringing Garba into the UBEC leadership from the World Bank, citing her impact as direct and far-reaching. They noted the return of out-of-school children to classrooms and a significant uplift in learning outcomes across the country.

Public affairs analyst and digital strategist JJ Omojuwa took to social media to describe how Garba eliminated longstanding bureaucratic bottlenecks that had hindered states from accessing federal education funds. He pointed to her leadership as the driver behind a 60 percent utilisation rate of education grants and the distribution of over six million textbooks, attributing these improvements to her clear vision and global expertise.

Dr Alausa concluded by urging the public to disregard what he described as “fabrications,” reaffirming the Ministry’s confidence in Garba’s leadership and pledging continued support for her reform agenda. According to him, the real focus should be on sustaining the transformation already underway in Nigeria’s education system, rather than distracting from it with unsubstantiated claims.