The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) says it has unlocked more than ₦100 billion in previously unclaimed matching grants, paving the way for states and the Federal Capital Territory to accelerate investments in public basic education after years of stalled funding.
The Executive Secretary of UBEC, Aisha Garba, disclosed this in Abuja on Thursday, describing the recovery and deployment of the funds as a major breakthrough in the commission’s efforts to improve access to quality education across the country.
According to her, the grants had remained inaccessible for several years because many state governments failed to meet the conditions required to access the counterpart funding. With the bottlenecks now addressed, she said the funds are being channelled into projects aimed at improving teaching, learning and school infrastructure.
Garba said the commission has already supported the construction of more than 4,600 classrooms and the rehabilitation of over 6,100 others nationwide in collaboration with State Universal Basic Education Boards (SUBEBs).
The intervention also includes the provision of 2,780 toilet facilities, 678 boreholes and over 334,000 pieces of classroom furniture, while more than 2,300 Early Childhood Care Development and Education centres have been established to strengthen foundational learning.
She said improving learning outcomes goes beyond physical infrastructure, noting that UBEC has invested over ₦20.4 billion in teacher professional development programmes to enhance classroom instruction, strengthen school leadership and improve accountability within the basic education system.
The commission has also expanded support for School-Based Management Committees and the Effective Schools Programme to encourage greater community participation in the management of public schools.
Garba said digital learning remains a priority under UBEC’s current reform agenda, with investments in Smart Schools, Digital Literacy Centres and the introduction of emerging technologies such as coding, robotics and artificial intelligence into basic education.
She added that more than 7.8 million instructional materials have been distributed to schools across the country to improve literacy, numeracy and foundational learning.
Beyond infrastructure and technology, the commission said it is scaling up interventions targeting vulnerable children through programmes on girl-child education, inclusive education, Open Schooling and Integrated Qur’anic and Tsangaya education.
Garba said the initiatives form part of UBEC’s 2025-2031 Strategic Blueprint, which places emphasis on transparency, stronger project monitoring and data-driven planning to improve education outcomes nationwide.
She noted that the strategy aligns with the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda and is aimed at ensuring that every Nigerian child, regardless of location or background, has access to quality basic education.
UBEC administers the Universal Basic Education programme in Nigeria and provides counterpart funding to states and the FCT to support the development of early childhood, primary and junior secondary education through infrastructure, teacher training and learning interventions.
