The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) has partnered with the Sultan Foundation for Peace and Development to mobilise traditional and religious leaders in the nationwide drive to identify, enrol and retain out-of-school children in schools.
The partnership, formalised through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), seeks to strengthen grassroots participation in basic education by leveraging the influence of traditional institutions and religious leaders to encourage families to prioritise children’s education.
The initiative will establish national, state and local coordinating committees to drive advocacy, community mobilisation and monitoring of school enrolment, attendance and retention, particularly in underserved communities.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, UBEC Executive Secretary, Aisha Garba, who was represented by the Deputy Executive Secretary (Technical), Rasaq Akinyemi, said the agreement would strengthen efforts to address barriers preventing children from accessing and completing basic education.
She explained that traditional and religious leaders would play central roles in identifying out-of-school children through household level mobilisation, facilitating their enrolment in nearby schools and encouraging families to ensure regular attendance and completion.
The agreement also provides for the production and distribution of advocacy materials in Hausa, Fulfulde and Yoruba, as well as accountability mechanisms to recognise communities, schools and traditional leaders recording measurable improvements in access to education.
Garba emphasised that the involvement of traditional institutions was critical, particularly in communities where poverty, cultural barriers and other social challenges continue to limit children’s educational opportunities. She also highlighted the importance of community leadership in promoting girls’ education.
She said the success of the partnership would be measured by increased enrolment, improved attendance and retention, stronger learning outcomes and a sustained reduction in the number of out of school children.
Providing an update on the Federal Government’s basic education interventions, the UBEC Executive Secretary disclosed that the Commission, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Education and State Universal Basic Education Boards (SUBEBs), had facilitated the construction of over 4,900 classrooms, renovation of existing school facilities and provision of water, sanitation and hygiene facilities nationwide.
She added that the infrastructure interventions had directly benefited more than 2.3 million learners by the end of 2025.
According to her, UBEC had also intensified community driven school improvement programmes and teacher professional development initiatives to strengthen school management and improve teaching and learning outcomes.
She attributed the Commission’s interventions to sustained government investment and institutional collaboration, noting that stronger community ownership remained essential to consolidating the gains recorded in the basic education sector.
Garba said the Commission’s programmes were aligned with the education priorities of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and the policy direction of the Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, CON, and the Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Said Ahmad.
In his remarks, the Deputy Governor of Kebbi State, Senator Umar Abubakar Tafida, who represented Governor Nasir Idris, commended the Sultan Foundation for Peace and Development for its contributions to health and social development, particularly interventions supported by development partners, including the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
He acknowledged the Foundation’s efforts to improve the welfare and educational opportunities of vulnerable children, describing its commitment to disadvantaged communities as consistent with the values of Islam and humanity.
He also conveyed the goodwill of the Kebbi State Government to UBEC, the Sultan Foundation and the Nasara Foundation.
Garba reaffirmed UBEC’s commitment to working with state governments, traditional institutions and other stakeholders to expand access to quality basic education and ensure that every Nigerian child has the opportunity to attend and complete school.
She said the Commission would sustain ongoing reforms, deepen strategic partnerships and strengthen the implementation of programmes aimed at improving access, infrastructure and learning outcomes across the country.
