UBEC applauds Nasarawa for advancements in basic education development
The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) has commended Nasarawa State for its remarkable progress in the development of basic education. The Executive Secretary of UBEC, Hajiya Aisha Garba, gave the commendation during a familiarization visit to the state, where she acknowledged Nasarawa as one of the top-performing states in accessing the Federal Government’s Universal Basic Education (UBE) matching grants.
Garba praised the Nasarawa State Government for its effective utilization of these grants, describing the state’s approach as “impressive” in strengthening its basic education system. She revealed that since 2005, the federal government, through UBEC, has disbursed over N20 billion to Nasarawa State. In addition, she disclosed that the state’s 2024 UBE matching grant, amounting to N3.55 billion, was ready for release, while the 2025 allocation had been increased to N6.71 billion.
Highlighting the state’s contributions to the sector, Garba lauded the construction and renovation of primary and junior secondary schools, provision of textbooks and teacher learning aids, recruitment of 2,000 teachers, and the donation of a temporary office for the UBEC zonal office in North Central Nigeria. She also acknowledged the state’s donation of land for the permanent site of UBEC’s North Central zonal office, urging the state government to facilitate the issuance of the Certificate of Occupancy for the land.
The UBEC boss further outlined various direct interventions undertaken by the commission in Nasarawa, including the establishment of a Model Smart School, the construction and furnishing of a Second Chance School, junior model secondary schools, five libraries, and Almajiri model schools. She emphasized the commission’s commitment to supporting the state in addressing challenges in the education sector.
In response, Governor Abdullahi Sule expressed gratitude to the executive secretary for choosing Nasarawa as the first state to visit since her appointment. He commended UBEC for its collaboration with the state government and reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to ensuring that Nasarawa continues to compete favorably with other states in education. As Chairman of the North Central Governors’ Forum, Sule urged UBEC staff and management to support Garba in executing her vision for basic education.
Governor Sule also highlighted his administration’s efforts in clearing a backlog of unclaimed UBEC grants, which had hindered the state’s educational progress in the past. He emphasized the importance of continued collaboration with UBEC, particularly in tackling the challenges of out-of-school children and the Almajiri system. He called on UBEC to partner with Nasarawa in providing opportunities for Almajiri children to access education and acquire skills for self-reliance.
On the issue of the Certificate of Occupancy for the UBEC zonal office land, Sule assured Garba that his administration was ready to process and issue the document as soon as UBEC demonstrated readiness to develop the site. He stressed that the government wanted to ensure the land was put to productive use rather than remain undeveloped.
The governor reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to education, stressing that Nasarawa State remains one of the leading states in educational development. He reiterated that his government would continue to invest in infrastructure, teacher recruitment, and policy reforms to enhance the quality of education in the state.
