The head of the Universal Basic Education Commission, Hamid Bobboyi, recently disclosed that many states, along with the Federal Capital Territory, have not yet accessed the 2024 Universal Basic Education matching grant. During a visit by the Senate Committee on Education, Bobboyi mentioned that only two states, Katsina and Kaduna, have accessed the grant for the first and second quarters of 2024. He highlighted the challenge posed by unaccessed UBE grants for basic and junior secondary education.
Bobboyi provided details on the accessed matching grants between 2020 and 2024, indicating that a significant number of states and the FCT have not utilized the grants allocated for those years. The total funds allocated under the 2023 and 2024 Appropriation Acts were disclosed by Bobboyi, with the amounts released as well.
Bobboyi also acknowledged the disparities in UBE grant access among different geopolitical zones, praising the North West for achieving a 100% access rate. He pointed out various challenges faced by the commission, such as insufficient political will from some state governments, low budgetary allocations for basic education, and inadequate teacher quality.
Members of the Senate Committee on Education raised concerns regarding the challenges highlighted by Bobboyi. They emphasized the importance of addressing issues like the high number of out-of-school children and the need to reintroduce history into the basic education curriculum.
The committee chairman, Senator Lawal Usman, commended UBEC’s efforts but urged the commission to implement the committee’s recommendations and enhance its operational framework.