THE Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Aisha Garba, has attributed the lack of significant development of basic education in Nigeria, to poor coordination and weak partnerships between critical stakeholders in the sector.
She particularly lamented what she described as “inconsistent” collaboration among UBEC, States Universal Basic Education Boards (SUBEBs), and State Ministries of Education, resulting in inefficiencies, poor monitoring, and reduced impact of educational interventions.
Garba, who is barely two months in office, took a bold step to address this yawning gap by convening a high-level meeting of UBEC management with Commissioners for Education and Chairmen of State Universal Basic Education Boards (SUBEBs).
The meeting, with the theme ‘Strengthening Collaboration for Quality Basic Education Delivery,’ was held at the Digital Resource Centre of the Universal Basic Education Commission, Kado-Kuchi, Abuja.
The UBEC boss highlighted the significance of effective synergy and collaboration, saying the gathering was a testament to the collective commitment to ensuring that every Nigerian child has access to quality basic education regardless of their location or background.
She emphasised that her goal is to build on the President’s Renewed Hope Agenda and to carry forward his vision to provide and support quality education across Nigeria.
While appreciating the Ministers of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa and Professor Suwaiba Said Ahmad, for their immense support since their assumption of office, Garba reaffirmed her commitment towards ensuring that no child is left behind in the country.
“To ensure that every Nigerian child has access to education, we must prioritise and strengthen basic education by fostering effective collaboration at national and state levels within and beyond the education sector.
“This workshop provides us with a unique opportunity to collectively evaluate our progress, identify challenges, and chart a new pathway towards achieving our shared goal of an efficient and effective basic education system in Nigeria.
“While we acknowledge the progress made in advancing basic education in Nigeria over the past decades, it is imperative that we address the persistent challenges such as finances, infrastructure, quality education and relevant learning materials, shortage of teachers, and a conducive environment for teaching and learning.
“Furthermore, there is poor coordination and weak partnership between critical stakeholders in the sector with inconsistent collaboration among UBEC, SUBEBs, and State Ministries of Education, resulting in inefficiencies, poor monitoring, and reduced impact of educational interventions. Tackling these challenges requires bold, collective action, underscoring the need for this workshop,” she stated.
Garba further stated education is the bedrock of national development, and achieving universal basic education requires a collaborative effort, adding that government agencies, private sector stakeholders, development partners, and civil society organisations must work hand in hand to address these challenges.
She pointed out that basic education in Nigeria could not advance significantly without a robust and coordinated partnership and collaboration between UBEC, SUBEBs, and the State Ministries of Education.
She maintained that the workshop is beyond a quarterly meeting, as it aims to reinforce this partnership, recognising that meaningful collaboration between these critical actors is fundamental to achieving improved effectiveness in the delivery of basic education services to Nigerian children.
She, therefore, urged all stakeholders to recommit to greater synergy in policy implementation, accountability in resource mobilisation/utilisation, and adherence to best practices in governance and financial management, stressing that this would ensure that interventions by the Federal Government and other key stakeholders yield the desired impact and unlock the full potential of our collective efforts.
Meanwhile, UBEC Executive Secretary Aisha Garba has disclosed that the Commission has commenced implementation of a strategic reform initiative to address deficiencies in foundational literacy among Primary 1 and 2 learners in Nigeria’s basic education schools.
Garba, who was represented by the Deputy Executive Secretary, Technical, Professor Bala Zakari, at the 2025 International Mother Language Day organised by the National Library of Nigeria in Abuja, noted that the programme employs a results-based financing (RBF) model designed to enhance state-level commitment to institutionalising early grade targets within their educational frameworks.
She explained that under this approach, states demonstrating verifiable progress would receive incentives through the Disbursement-Linked Indicators (DLs).
“The DLIs are derived from the commitments outlined in the National Reading Framework (NRF), which include structured reading time allocation, provision of standardised instructional materials, parental involvement in post-school learning activities, and capacity-building programs for teachers on EGR methodologies. It is expected that states will be very committed to achieving the DLIs, thereby yielding significant improvements in reading proficiency in basic education,” she stated.
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The Executive Secretary said the commission is committed to the National Reading Framework that was launched by the Federal Ministry of Education. The framework emphasises the development and revision of early-grade curricula for all languages of instruction to ensure that they include minimum reading skills aimed at improving early grade reading outcomes, aligning with the Global Proficiency Framework for Reading.
She added that UBEC would monitor the SUBEBs to ensure that adequate reading time is allocated in the weekly reading timetable for teaching of reading, particularly for early grade reading, adding that UBEC also ensures SUBEBs put in school-based programmes to increase the amount of time pupils spend reading independently.
She promised to ensure that UBEC continuously enhances the capacity of teachers through adequate teacher training on effective instructional practices and the establishment of performance standards for language of instruction as well as the provision of relevant, high-quality instructional materials.
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