The Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission, Dr. Aisha Garba, has disclosed that 25 states and the Federal Capital Territory have accessed the sum of N92.4bn, being UBE matching grant, between January and June.
She further disclosed that the Commission disbursed N19bn, being the 2023/2024 Teacher Professional Development fund, to 32 states and the FCT, and N1.5bn as School Based Management Committee Improvement Programme fund to 1,147 communities in the 36 States and the FCT.
Garba disclosed this on Monday while declaring open a three-day Financial Management Training organised for fund managers of State Universal Basic Education Boards in the 36 States and FCT, including SUBEBs Directors of Finance and Accounts, Heads of Internal Audit and Matching Grant Desk Officers on efficient and effective management of the UBE intervention funds.
She, however, expressed concerns that over N250bn intervention funds disbursed to state governments were still being retained as unutilized in the coffers of the 36 States Universal Basic Education Boards and the Federal Capital Territory.
She lamented that the basic challenge is not only accessing the UBE matching grant but the failure of some of the state governments to properly utilise the fund for the purpose of development of infrastructure and improvement of the teaching and learning conditions in schools across the country.
Garba said, “Accordingly, I am glad to inform this gathering that between January and June, 2025, the sum of N92.4bn, being UBE Matching Grant, has been accessed by Twenty-Five States and FCT.
“Furthermore, the commission disbursed N19bn, being the 2023/2024 Teacher Professional Development fund to 32 States & the FCT and N1.5bn SBMC School Improvement Programme fund to 1,147 communities in the 36 States and FCT.
“While the above achievement reflects a significant gain, the basic challenge remains not only accessing the remaining UBE Intervention Fund, but importantly the slow utilisation of the Fund with over N250b still being retained as un-utilised in the coffers of the 36 SUBEBS & FCT-UBEB as at today.”
Garba, who was represented by the Deputy Executive Secretary (Technical), UBEC, Razaq Akinyemi, at the programme themed, “Efficient and Effective Management of UBE Intervention Fund, a key to Successful Basic Education Service Delivery.”
She said the theme resonates with the commission’s commitment to ensure continuous improvement in the management of basic education funds in respective states and ensuring that all financial resources allocated for UBE delivery are properly managed and effectively utilised for intended purposes.
She stressed that the training aims to equip the fund managers with the skills required for making the necessary changes.
These include addressing the issues of access, timely utilisation of funds, effective oversight and accountability at the grassroots.
She added that the training served not only as a knowledge-sharing platform but also as an opportunity to align the financial operations of SUBEBs with the UBE mandate and ensure global best practice.
“This edition of the training is thus another critical milestone in our collective pursuit of ensuring transparency, accountability, and prudence in the management of public resources entrusted to us for the delivery of quality basic education.
“That is why we have carefully ensured that this particular training is expected to cover a range of pertinent areas including the new template for preparing SUBEB Action Plans, Overview of the Nigerian Tax Reforms Act, 2025, financial infractions, violations resulting in audit queries & red flags in the execution of UBE funded projects, Procurement Procedures, and maintenance of financial records, among others,” she said.
She reminded the participants that it is not the quantum of funds deployed to States that matters, but rather how efficient and effective the fund managers are in utilising the same for the benefit of the target learners.
She emphasised that the goal of UBEC is to ensure that participants understand and carry out the very crucial responsibility of ensuring that every naira allocated to the UBE programme is accounted for and effectively utilised in ways that add value and positively impact the learning outcomes of the Nigerian child.
The Executive Secretary encouraged all participants to approach the training with an open mind, recommit to the principles of transparency, accountability, and excellence in service delivery, while urging them to embrace new perspectives that will improve our performance as UBE fund managers.
She recalled that, on her assumption of duty in January 2025, her first official assignment was the supervision of the conduct of the 46th Financial Monitoring of the utilisation of the FGN-UBE Intervention Fund in the North Central Region.
This, she said, allowed her to identify some of the lapses associated with the management of the UBE funds at the state level including slow access of UBE Matching Grant, slow utilisation of the fund, non- compliance with the fund utilisation guidelines, diversion of fund, non- deduction and remittance of taxes, non-compliance with the due process in the award of contracts for the execution of basic education projects as well as non-adherence to the approved Action Plan.
She added, “In a bid to address these challenges, which I encountered first hand, I initiated the review of the Utilisation Guidelines, developed a new template for the preparation of SUBEB Action Plans and approved various capacity building activities nationally and internationally for both UBEC and SUBEB personnel.
“I note with delight that this modest effort, in addition to our continuous engagement for improved practices in this regard, has led to increased access to the UBE fund by States.”
Credit: THE PUNCH.
