Get Guardian on GoogleState governments have been challenged to be pragmatic in meeting the requirements for accessing matching grant funds meant for the development of basic education.
This was one of the resolutions adopted at the 26th quarterly meeting of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) management, which was attended by the Executive Chairman of the State Universal Basic Education Boards (SUBEB), and continued at the Government House in Makurdi, Benue State, yesterday.
The Executive Secretary of UBEC, Aisha Garba, who gave the charge, said the meeting with the Executive Chairmen of SUBEB was not just a routine engagement but a call to action to confront barriers hindering states from fully unlocking available resources, simplify administrative processes and access funds to deliver the desired results for school children.
The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, represented by the Deputy Director of Basic Education, Joy Onoja, told the delegates that significant progress had been made from the resolution of the previous quarterly meeting to review the Universal Basic Education Act 2024 with the launch of over $500 million loan-aid programme to aid education of millions of Nigerian children.
Alausa insisted that the ministry would continue to advocate for quality basic education as a fundamental right of every child by fostering strategic partnerships and implementing innovative solutions that change the education sector.
The UBEC boss stated that the theme, “Unassessed and un-utilised UBEC matching grant: The Nigerian child at the receiving end,” was a challenge for stakeholders to confront how procedural delays and under-utilisation of funds can directly hinder the delivery of education to those who need it the most.
