The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) has confirmed that over 45.7 billion matching grants to state governments for implementation of Universal Basic Education (UBE) between 2020 and 2023 have not been accessed.
UBEC Executive Secretary, Dr Hamid Bobboyi disclosed this when he received members of the Federal House of Representatives Committee on Basic Education and Services, on oversight visit to the Commission in Abuja.
Bobboyi who attributed the inability of some state governments to access the UBE matching grants as a key challenge to the Commission,told the visiting lawmakers that only 16 states have so far accessed the 2023 grant.
The UBEC boss however called for all stakeholders including the National Assembly to join forces together to achieve greater success in the delivery of the UBE mandate in the country.
Meanwhile, the chairman, House Committee on Universal Basic Education and Services, Hon. Mark Bako Useni, in his remarks described the UBEC Act, as obsolete and inadequate to address the emerging challenges of basic education in Nigeria; hence the urgent need to amend the law.
The lawmaker who represent Takum/Ussa/Donga Federal Constituency said the oversight function was necessary to see how basic education has fared in the last one year.
