Elegbede Abiodun
UNICEF commends SUBEB’s readiness for partnership, aims at expanding access to education.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has reassured of its commitment to improving access to quality basic education in Benue State following a strategic needs assessment visit to the Benue State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) headquarters Makurdi the State capital.
The delegation, led by UNICEF International Consultant Michelle Boujikian, engaged SUBEB officials in discussions focused on data accessibility, school needs assessment, and the development of evidence-based intervention programmes.
The meeting explored practical steps to address systemic gaps affecting school enrolment and learning outcomes across the state.
Speaking during the session, Boujikian stressed the importance of reliable data in designing sustainable interventions, particularly for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).
She reaffirmed UNICEF’s commitment to protecting every child’s right to education, noting that targeted support remains critical for children in vulnerable communities.
Responding, the Executive Chairman of SUBEB Grace Adagba, expressed appreciation for UNICEF’s continued partnership, especially its support during the Benue Education Summit 2026, where additional learning materials were provided.
She disclosed that recent surveys conducted by SUBEB revealed pressing challenges, including shortages of learning materials, weak school feeding structures, and low parental motivation for enrolment.
Adagba highlighted the relevance of UNICEF’s collaboration to the successful implementation of the “Building Rights to Access and Compulsory Education for Un-enrolled Pupils” (BRACE-UP) Project. The initiative, recently launched by Governor Hyacinth Iormem Alia, is designed to reintegrate out-of-school children into formal basic education across Benue State.
UNICEF Education Specialist from the Enugu Field Office, Believe O. Eke, disclosed that the agency would support BRACE-UP through a structured one-year implementation plan.
This includes training parents and education stakeholders on positive parenting practices, deploying facilitators, and distributing 400 “School-in-a-Box” kits to IDP camps and selected schools across the state’s three senatorial zones.
Other UNICEF officials at the meeting commended SUBEB’s openness to partnership and reaffirmed support for initiatives aimed at expanding access to education.
Adagba concluded by calling on development partners and corporate organisations to support ongoing efforts to ensure every child in Benue State has access to quality basic education.
