By Tracy Ohovwore
The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) has expressed deep concern over the continued failure of several state governments to utilise more than ₦250 billion in intervention funds intended to improve the country’s basic education system.
Speaking in Abuja on Monday during the opening of a three-day Financial Management Training for fund managers from State Universal Basic Education Boards (SUBEBs), UBEC’s Executive Secretary, Dr. Aisha Garba, called attention to the urgent need for greater accountability.
The training, which drew participants from all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), was aimed at enhancing the financial management capacity of Directors of Finance, Internal Audit Heads, and Matching Grant Desk Officers. The theme focused on the critical role efficient and effective fund management plays in delivering quality basic education.
Represented by the Deputy Executive Secretary (Technical), Razaq Akinyemi, Dr. Garba noted that many states not only delay in accessing the Universal Basic Education (UBE) matching grants but also fall short in putting the funds to proper use. She emphasized that this mismanagement continues to hinder efforts to improve school infrastructure and learning conditions nationwide.
Reflecting on her early days in office, Dr. Garba shared that her first official assignment in January 2025 was overseeing a financial monitoring exercise in the North Central region. That effort revealed widespread shortcomings in how states handle UBE funds, ranging from procedural lapses and fund diversion to neglect of tax obligations and disregard for approved plans.
To counter these challenges, UBEC introduced a revised set of fund utilisation guidelines and a new planning template for SUBEBs. The Commission also launched national and international capacity-building programs to equip relevant personnel with the skills needed for better fund administration. These reforms, according to Dr. Garba, are beginning to yield positive outcomes, with more states now showing improved access and utilisation of the grants.
She disclosed that between January and June 2025, 25 states and the FCT had accessed a total of ₦92.4 billion in matching grants. Additionally, ₦19 billion had been distributed for teacher professional development in 32 states and the FCT, while ₦1.5 billion was allocated under the School-Based Management Committee-School Improvement Programme to benefit over a thousand communities.
Despite these gains, Dr. Garba lamented that more than ₦250 billion remains untouched in state accounts. She warned that this persistent underutilisation poses a serious threat to the progress of basic education, stressing that no meaningful development can occur when resources meant to uplift schools and learners are left idle.
She urged state governments to treat the issue with the urgency it deserves and ensure that funds meant for education are applied efficiently and transparently for the benefit of Nigerian children.
