Over 2m children benefit from basic education reforms

From Timothy Olanrewaju, Maiduguri

Over two million school children across the states have benefitted from the Federal Government’s reforms of the basic education system in the country.

Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Hajiya Aisha Garba, disclosed yesterday at the opening of the 28th quarterly meeting of the commission holding in Maiduguri, Borno State.

Garba said the ongoing reforms in basic education in Nigeria is aimed at improving children’s access to quality education, digitalising the process and system, improving school infrastructure and quality of teaching as well as learning.

“We’ve been able to impact over two million school children with the reform,” she disclosed, calling on the 36 states and the FCT Universal Basic Education Boards to pursue the reforms with passion and vigour.

She noted that the country had never lacked great policies. She identified implementation of policies as major challenges affecting most sectors in the country.

She urged all SUBEBs to be committed to digital collection of data and periodic reviews of the policy implementation in their respective states.

She thanked the Borno State Government for hosting the meeting in Maiduguri and lauded the governor’s school infrastructure.

Minister of Education, Dr. Olatunji Alausa, in his address, announced that data collection and school census would be done digitally as from 2026.

He called for a standard in the provision of infrastructure in schools. “I urge you to choose quality instead of quantity in terms of furnishing and education equipment,” he advised.

He emphasised that education is not a social service but a veritable weapon to tackle poverty and grow society.

“Every school built is a weapon against poverty. Every child trained is an antidote to terrorism and banditry,” he declared.