Over N45.7bn Grant Not Accessed By State Govts – UBEC

• Dr. Hamid Bobboyi revealed that more than 45.7 billion naira in matching grants allocated to state governments for implementing the Universal Basic Education (UBE) program between 2020 and 2023 has not been accessed by many states
• Only 16 states accessed the 2023 matching grant, representing 41 percent of the appropriated 51.6 billion naira, with a total of 21 billion naira accessed by these states as of June 30, 2023

Dr. Hamid Bobboyi, the Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), revealed that many states have not accessed more than 45.7 billion naira in matching grants allocated to state governments for implementing the Universal Basic Education (UBE) program between 2020 and 2023.

Bobboyi made this disclosure on Wednesday during an oversight visit by members of the Federal House of Representatives Committee on Basic Education and Services to the commission in Abuja.

He stated that only 16 states had accessed the 2023 matching grant, representing 41 percent of the appropriated 51.6 billion naira. As of June 30, these states have only accessed 21 billion naira.

The states that accessed the 2023 matching grant include Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Enugu, Jigawa, Kano, Kwara, Nasarawa, Niger, Ondo, Osun, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, and Zamfara.

Bobboyi explained, “Out of 103.2 billion naira appropriated for 2023, being two percent of the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF), 55 billion naira was utilized. This includes total expenditure under UBE implementation, matching grant, educational imbalance, special education, and monitoring and programs funds as of June 30, 2024, showing 54 percent utilization.”

He identified the commission’s significant challenge as the inability of some state governments to access UBE matching grants on time. Bobboyi emphasized that addressing the issue of out-of-school children in Nigeria requires the collaboration of all stakeholders, including the National Assembly. He lamented some state governments’ lack of political commitment to basic education, which exacerbates out-of-school children’s issues.

Hon. Mark Bako Useni, the House Committee on Universal Basic Education and Services chairman, stressed the need to amend the nearly 20-year-old UBEC Act to address emerging challenges in basic education. Useni, who represents Takum/Ussa/Donga Federal Constituency, noted that the bill to amend the act had already passed its first and second readings in the House and is currently at the committee stage.

Useni said, “The UBEC act has existed for nearly 20 years. From the time the law came into force till today, we have passed through several stages of developments; so one cannot hold on to one thing over the years. Like the issue of un-accessed funds, if we don’t amend the act, the challenge will continue to be there, but if the act is amended and there are measures to ensure that we overcome unaccessed funds, the primary and secondary education will serve our children better.”

He highlighted the committee’s oversight function’s importance in evaluating the progress of basic education over the past year. Useni emphasized the need to identify areas where the commission’s interventions could enhance the country’s basic education quality.

“In our drive toward ensuring every Nigerian child is back to school and able to learn, we have high expectations from UBEC over the years. If the federal government has not established UBEC, you can only imagine what basic education will become like in the country,” he said.