UBEC boss tasks states on accountability, equitable access to basic education

Dr Hamid Bobboyi

THE Executive Secretary of Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Dr Hamid Bobboyi has tasked the state governments on the need to ensure accountability, improved literacy and provision of equitable access to basic education in the country.

He spoke while declaring open the training programme on Communication Strategy for Public Relations Officers in UBEC, States Universal Basic Education Boards (SUBEB) and Better Education Service Delivery for All (BESDA) which was held in Kano State.

Bobboi, who was represented by the UBEC deputy executive secretary (Technical) Dr Bala Zakari, stressed the need for accountability in the implementation of Universal Basic Education and BESDA programmes in order to reduce the challenge of out-of-school children in the country.

He told participants at the BESDA programme to support designated federal and state agencies in line with the specific objectives of increasing equitable access to education for out-of-school children, thereby improving literacy in focus state, and strengthening accountability for result through system strengthening.

He noted that “BESDA intervention focuses on states with the largest population of out-of-school children in the country” in reference to a statement by the head of Public Relations and Protocol of UBEC Mr David Apeh, in Abuja.

Deputy executive secretary (Services), Dr Isiaka Kolawale Olayinka, in his presentation, said the BESDA programme could not succeed without the active participation and cooperation of the Universal Basis Education (UBE) information managers.

He explained that information is key at every level of the programme, as such there was the need for inclusion of information managers to participate in the project implementation.

The training, according to Dr Olayinka, was aimed at guiding the conduct of communication and related activities in ensuring effectiveness of designated communication towards the overall goals of the programme in various states.

He noted that the BESDA programme requires deliberate sensitisation and mobilisation of every critical stakeholder at each state of the programme implementation.

He stressed that the training would provide effective response to identified UBE delivery and communication challenges as well as fresh and innovative perspectives in engaging stakeholders’ state and non-actors, parents and other stakeholders.

“I would like to encourage all participants to make use of the knowledge gained to support the efforts of the government in ensuring that education reaches more people and more value is obtained from the money spent on the programme and project, especially in BESDA programme,” he said.

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