- The Universal Basic Education Commission revealed that ₦135.54 billion in matching grants remains unaccessed by state governments from 2020 to 2024
- Nine states and the Federal Capital Territory have yet to access their 2023 Universal Basic Education matching grants, highlighting regional disparities
The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) has revealed that state governments did not access N135.54 billion in matching grants between 2020 and 2024.
This disclosure was made by UBEC’s Executive Secretary, Dr. Hamid Bobboyi, during his presentation of the 2023 and 2024 budget implementation report to the Senate Committee on Basic and Secondary Education on Monday in Abuja.
Dr. Bobboyi explained that while the 2024 budget would be disbursed in the following year, many states have failed to meet the requirements necessary to access these funds, leaving critical educational resources underutilized.
Despite some progress, nine states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have yet to access their 2023 Universal Basic Education (UBE) matching grants. Dr. Bobboyi also highlighted a worrying trend in the South-East region, which has accessed only 85.37% of its 2022 matching funds.
Providing a breakdown of state performances, Dr. Bobboyi noted:
- 2020 grants: Abia and Ogun have not accessed their allocations.
- 2021 grants: Abia, Imo, and Ogun are yet to access these funds.
- 2022 grants: Seven states—Abia, Adamawa, Anambra, Ebonyi, Imo, Ogun, and Oyo—remain unassessed.
- 2023 grants: Nine states, including Abia, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Ebonyi, Imo, Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, and Plateau, have not accessed the funds.
- 2024 grants: Only Katsina and Kaduna have accessed their allocations for the first two quarters, leaving 34 states and the FCT yet to do so.
In terms of accessing the matching grants:
- North-West Zone ranks first with 100% access.
- South-South Zone follows with 97.92% access.
- North-Central Zone achieved 97.76%, coming third.
- North-East Zone accessed 97.57%, ranking fourth.
- South-West Zone managed 92.28% access.
- South-East Zone trails at the bottom with 85.37% access.
Dr. Bobboyi praised Katsina and Kaduna for their early access to the 2024 grants and urged other states to follow suit. However, he expressed concern over states like Ogun, Abia, and Imo, which have consistently lagged in accessing matching funds since 2020.
He emphasized the need for states to prioritize meeting the requirements for grant access, ensuring that vital resources for educational development are not left untapped.
The Executive Secretary appealed to state governments to fully utilize the available matching grants, stressing that these funds are critical for improving the quality of education across the country.