UBEC Calls on Governors to Prioritize Basic EducationUBEC Calls on Governors to Prioritize Basic Education Dr. Hamid Bobboyi, Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), has urged governors to invest more in basic education, as the federal government grant is insufficient. At a meeting with Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), Bobboyi highlighted concerns including: * High number of out-of-school children * Inadequate infrastructure * Outdated UBE law * Teacher shortages * Insecurity He called on state governments to prioritize basic education by utilizing their intervention funds and addressing out-of-school children. UBEC plans to launch an Open School program to provide flexible learning opportunities. Despite investments, Bobboyi emphasized the need for further improvements. Prof. Bala Zakari, UBEC’s Deputy Executive Secretary (Technical), presented a staff audit revealing a shortage of 194,876 teachers in public primary schools. Zakari urged a revision of the UBE Act and increased education funding. UBEC Director of Social Mobilization, Dr. Osom Osom, stated that the meeting aimed to foster collaboration between CSOs and UBEC in improving basic education delivery.
Dr Hamid Bobboyi, Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), has called on the governors of the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory Administration to invest more in basic education.
He said the assistance provided by the federal government in the form of a grant was not sufficient to provide basic education.
Speaking at a meeting with Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) on the Effective Schools Programme in Abuja on Tuesday, Bobboyi also appealed to CSOs to support government in delivering Universal Basic Education (UBE) through advocacy and sensitization of stakeholders on the need to prioritize basic education.
He listed key areas of concern including the high number of out-of-school children, inadequate infrastructure for teaching and learning, an outdated UBE law, shortages in the quality and availability of teachers, few partnerships for UBE delivery, insecurity and a lack of awareness about the importance of education in rural and disadvantaged communities.
He urged state governments to demonstrate their commitment to improving basic education delivery by tapping into and utilizing their intervention fund on time.
The UBEC chief also urged governments at all levels to commit to addressing out-of-school children.
However, he announced that the Commission would soon launch an Open School programme, which aims to provide a flexible approach to learning in Nigeria.
Bobboyi, represented by the Deputy Executive Secretary (Service), Prof. Isiaka Kolawole, stressed that the initiative aims to provide Nigerians with comprehensive access to basic education.
“UBEC is finalising arrangements for the Open Schooling Programme in the basic education sub-sector as an accelerated education intervention.
“This program is designed to provide a flexible learning approach and support those who do not have access to traditional UBE environments,” he said.
He said that despite significant efforts and investments from various stakeholders including government, corporates and individuals, significant improvements are still needed in the education sector.
“Although much has been invested and great efforts have been made by the government, corporate and private institutions, and by privileged individuals, and despite the various interventions of UBEC, much more needs to be done to improve basic education in the country,” he said.
Prof. Bala Zakari, Deputy Executive Secretary (Technical) of UBEC, presented the status of the UBE programme in Nigeria and highlighted the severe shortage of qualified teachers.
Zakari based his research on the 2022 staff audit in the primary education sector and pointed out that public primary schools have a shortage of 194,876 teachers out of the 694,078 needed.
“There is an acute shortage of qualified teachers in public primary schools. Of the 694,078 teachers needed at this level, 499,202 are available, leaving a gap of 194,876. ECCDE and Junior Secondary Schools appear to have more teachers than required,” he said.
Zakari called for a revision of the 2004 UBE Act to address these problems and urged state governments to allocate more resources to education.
He also encouraged civil society organizations to step up efforts to ensure that every Nigerian child has access to education.
Earlier in his opening remarks, Dr. Osom Osom, Director of Social Mobilization at UBEC, indicated that the event was organised to promote robust interactions and idea-sharing between the Commission and civil society organisations to improve the delivery of basic education.
“This is part of the ongoing discussions between UBEC and partners on the delivery of basic education, so that we can interact and share experiences,” he said.
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