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From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
Federal Government has inaugurated the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) Ministerial Implementation and Monitoring Committee for Smart Schools, Bilingual Schools and Alternative Schools, charging members to ensure that completed education projects are fully operational and delivering quality learning to Nigerian children.
Emeritus professor and expert in Literacy Education, University of Ibadan, Rashid Aderionye, was appointed chairman of the Committee. He is expected to work with 13 other persons.
At the inauguration in Abuja, yesterday, Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, said the committee’s primary responsibility was not merely to monitor infrastructure projects but to ensure that schools are completed, handed over, staffed and opened to learners.
He said the committee’s work aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which places education at the centre of Nigeria’s economic growth, national cohesion and global competitiveness.
The minister noted that smart schools are designed to equip children with digital skills for the modern economy, while bilingual schools are intended to promote linguistic inclusion and national integration.
He added that alternative schools are aimed at expanding access to quality education for vulnerable children, particularly girls, out-of-school children and other underserved groups.
The minister noted that despite substantial investments by UBEC in basic education, many projects remain incomplete, while several completed schools are yet to be handed over to the state governments or opened for academic activities.
He warned that completed schools left unused represent lost opportunities for thousands of Nigerian children and undermine public confidence in the government’s ability to deliver.
He directed the committee to work closely with UBEC, state governments, State Universal Basic Education Boards (SUBEB) and contractors to ensure outstanding projects are completed, furnished and equipped, while also facilitating the provision of electricity, water, internet connectivity and adequate teachers where necessary.
He stressed that the committee’s success would not be judged by the number of meetings held or reports produced but by the number of schools that become fully operational and begin educating children.
“The era when projects are declared completed on paper while remaining inaccessible to beneficiaries must come to an end. This committee must track every project from conception to completion, handover, operation, staffing, student enrolment and measurable learning outcomes.
He also commended the Minister of State for Education, Suwaiba Said Ahmad, for her commitment to improving foundational learning and acknowledged the investments made by UBEC in expanding access to quality basic education. He assured Nigerians that the Federal Ministry of Education would provide the committee with the necessary support to deliver on its mandate.
Reaffirming the Federal Government’s commitment to improving basic education, the minister declared that under the Renewed Hope Agenda, no publicly funded educational infrastructure would remain abandoned, idle or under-utilised.
He formally inaugurated the committee and urged its members to discharge their responsibilities with professionalism, transparency and a strong focus on results.
