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From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) has established a partnership with the Council for the Regulations of Engineer in Nigeria (COREN) to strengthen the monitoring and supervision of building works in basic schools across the country.
To achieve the objective, officials of COREN and UBEC have been trained on how to execute the task ahead and ensure that minimum standard is maintained in all construction work in schools across the country.
Executive Secretary of UBEC, Dr. Hamid Bobboyi, who spoke at one-day workshop for COREN inspectors for monitoring of UBEC/SUBEBS Matching Grant intervention projects in 36 states and FCT said the Commission was worried by the poor learning infrastructures in basic education system despite huge intervention by the Federal Government.
Bobboyi said one of the key elements that could encourage learning is good environment, hence the need the partnership with the Council to ensure that infrastructure built in public schools across the country are of standard quality.
He recalled that on 3rd March, 2022, UBEC and COREN signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the Council to monitor UBEC matching grant intervention projects across the 36 States of the Federation and Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
UBEC boss disclosed that 50 per cent of allocation to the Commission from the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF), as support by the Federal Government to basic education, is disbursed to state governments for development of infrastructure.
He said it was therefore important for UBEC to monitor what is going on in order to ensure that there is value for money and infrastructures built are safe and could last for long time as well as motivate the pupils to learn better.
He added that the role of the COREN was to make sure that all buildings in public basic schools has its certification and well built enough to add value to Nigerian classrooms.
He added: “The engagement of COREN for monitoring and evaluation of UBEC projects would add value to the efforts being put in place to ensure quality basic education delivery in the country.”
Registrar of COREN, Prof. Adisa Bello, in his remark, said the Council is to monitor construction work, renovation, furniture, equipment, works and water supply projects and report appropriately to UBEC management.
This, he said, was to ensure protection of lives and property, safety and value for money for sustainable national infrastructure development in Nigeria.
Bello, therefore, warned the inspectors against deviation from the norm, stressing that anyone found wanting during the exercise would be dealt with, accordingly.
He commended the management of UBEC for opening itself for scrutiny, saying many government agencies would not be prepared to subject themselves to such evaluation.
Meanwhile, the President of Nigerian Society of Engineers, Engr. Tas’u Gidari Wudil, on his part noted that infrastructures in schools are very key to delivery of education, saying the Council has however discovered that most of the projects were badly done with minimal supervision.
He added that UBEC do not have the capacity to effectively supervise those projects across the entire country, hence the need for support of the Council Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria, by extension the Nigerian Society of Engineers.
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