Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission, Dr Aisha Garba… File photo
Elegbede Abiodun
The programme would see the nationwide distribution of 1,155,900 school kits.
The Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission, Aisha Garba, on Friday declared that no Nigerian child should be left behind in access to basic education, as she unveiled the national rollout of the Learners Support Programme in Benue State.
Speaking at the Benue State Universal Basic Education Board Basic Education Summit held in Makurdi, Garba described the initiative as a decisive step toward tackling the persistent challenge of out-of-school children across the country.
The summit, themed ‘Innovative Strategies for Addressing the Menace of Out-of-School Children: Enhancing Enrolment and Retention of Children in Basic Schools,’ brought together government officials, lawmakers, education stakeholders, development partners, teachers, parents, and community leaders.
Garba said, “This isn’t just a policy update; it is a solemn promise that no child, regardless of their geography or background, will be left behind.”
Garba commended the leadership of Benue State under Governor Rev. Hyacinth Alia and the SUBEB Chairman, Grace Adagba, for hosting what she described as “landmark events” aimed at confronting one of Nigeria’s most urgent national challenges.
“The summit’s theme directly confronts one of Nigeria’s most urgent national challenges. Millions of our children are still denied their fundamental right to education, as guaranteed by the Universal Basic Education Act of 2004,” she said.
According to her, the choice of Benue for the national flag-off of the Learners Support Programme was deliberate.
“On the one hand, this state has shown an uncanny resolve to raise basic education delivery to new heights, and I am attracted to excellent service delivery,” she stated.
Garba explained that the Learners Support Programme would see the “nationwide distribution of 1,155,900 school kits, comprising 288,975 units each of school bags, sandals, pencils, and exercise books.”
The initiative is targeted at vulnerable children from low-income households to ease financial burdens and boost enrolment, retention, and transition in schools.
“Launching the provision of essential school kits, learning materials, and targeted support to vulnerable learners, thereby removing barriers to enrolment and retention while equipping children for effective schooling complements this summit,” she said.
Highlighting UBEC’s partnership with Benue SUBEB, Garba noted that the state is up to date in accessing matching grants and has demonstrated effective utilisation, aided by recent restructuring within the commission that relaxed access conditions and aligned disbursements to individual state needs. She disclosed that the reform has improved access to matching grants by over 80 per cent nationwide.
The executive secretary also pointed to infrastructure and resource improvements delivered in Benue, including the construction of 39 new classrooms, 50 toilets, 15 offices, five libraries, five ICT laboratories, and five Early Childhood Care and Development Education centres.
Additionally, 182 classrooms and several other facilities were renovated, while thousands of pupils and teachers received furniture support.
Garba further revealed that under the School-Based Management Committee-School Improvement Programme, community-priority projects totalling 13,670 have been executed, supported by over N1.5 billion in first-tranche funding to 1,142 schools, with an expected impact on more than 430,000 learners and their communities.
She described the meeting as a landmark gathering that underscored Benue’s pivotal role in advancing basic education initiatives and fostering strategic collaboration.
The executive secretary emphasised that the government alone cannot solve the out-of-school crisis, calling for stronger community mobilisation, the use of technology to track enrolment, improved security in vulnerable schools, incentives for girl-child education, inclusive teacher training, and non-formal education options for older out-of-school children.
“Combating out-of-school children requires bold innovation, urgent action, and genuine collaboration,” she said.
She reaffirmed UBEC’s commitment to supporting Benue State in scaling up enrolment drives, strengthening SBMC-SIP activities, and enhancing out-of-school children reduction strategies through programmes such as the Learners Retention Support Programme and the Learners Support Programme.
“We look forward to the summit delivering lasting, practical results that bring more children into school and keep them there until they complete basic education,” she concluded.
The basic education sector has faced persistent structural challenges for decades. Despite the enactment of the Universal Basic Education Act in 2004, which guarantees every child nine years of free and compulsory education, millions of children, particularly in rural communities, conflict-affected areas, and low-income households, remain outside the formal school system. Poverty, insecurity, cultural barriers, child labour, and weak infrastructure continue to undermine enrolment and retention rates.
