Every year, the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) provides intervention funds to 36 states and the federal capital territory (FCT) to improve access to basic education in the country. Investigations carried out by independent journalists revealed that many public schools are in poor conditions while the funds meant to salvage the situation lies dormant. Students of these public schools learn in very harsh conditions and some of them have decided to give up attending school altogether.
Students in states such as Niger and Ogun have told investigating journalists that they have left school due to the poor condition of such schools. A boy who attend Tukura Primary School in Kontagora, Niger State, said he and his classmates sit on the bare floor to learn because their classrooms have no furniture. The infrastructural deficit in the school includes defaced walls, sagging and leaking roofs, absence of furniture, and lack of toilet facilities. “I am not happy coming to school anymore. We look dirty after school hours because we sit on the floor,” the boy said.
Nigeria has the most out-of-school children despite UBEC Act.
This is one of the many cases. As many public schools in Niger lack basic amenities, public schools in Ogun are also in the same state. At Asore Grammar School, students lamented lack of adequate teachers and basic infrastructure. At St. Peter’s Anglican Church Primary School in Oke Aro, primary six pupils were receiving lectures under a visibly weak building with different cracks. A report by the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) estimated that 75 percent of children aged 7 to 14 years in Nigeria cannot read a simple sentence or solve basic math.
Also, according to United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) data, Nigeria has an estimated 20.2 million out-of-school children and youth. This is not only the highest in Africa but also the third highest in the world. This is occurring despite the existence of the UBEC Act of 2004 which provides for compulsory free universal basic education for all children of primary and junior secondary school age in the country. UBEC estimated that 50 percent of public schools in the country lack basic furniture, forcing pupils to sit on the floor to take lessons.
Accessing UBEC funds has strict prerequisites.
To revamp basic education in the country, the federal government introduced an intervention fund for states in the country and the FCT. The fund is coordinated by UBEC. Hamid Bobboyi, UBEC’s executive secretary, said each state receives an average of N1.5 billion for funding of basic education from the commission every year. However, the initiative has been hindered by various issues including the non-provision of the matching grant required to access the fund by some states. “To access the fund, each state must also contribute an equivalent amount of the grant given by the federal government,” Sobodun Abdul-Hakeem Babatunde, a research associate at Eduplana, a civic-tech organization, told the press. “For instance, in 2021, the federal government contributed N946 million to each state. This means each state must also contribute N946 million, making it a total allocation of N1.89 billion for each state’s UBEC.”
He said that it is also a prerequisite that the previous year’s project must have attained 70 percent completion before accessing another fiscal year’s fund from UBEC. Zikora Ibeh, a policy and research analyst for Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), said apart from providing counterpart funds, “states are also required to establish a state universal basic education board, develop state UBEC action plans, open a dedicated account with the CBN, and regularly publish progress and financial reports of projects undertaken under the UBEC initiative.” Ibeh, said the requirement for the counterpart funds is not only a financial obligation but also an indication of the state’s willingness to prioritize and invest in basic education.
Non-utilization of UBEC funds affecting basic education.
UBEC data in 2022 showed that from 2005 to 2021, the Federal Government has disbursed a total of N564,607,995,011 to the 36 states and the FCT under the initiative. Findings showed that Ogun and Niger states were among the states that failed to provide the matching grant required to access the funds within the period in spite of the condition of schools in both states. The UBEC data revealed that from 2005 to 2021, Niger did not access a total of N2,674,977,853 matching grant, while that of Ogun stood at N3,672,882,493. In 2022, Adamu Usman, chairman of UBEC’s governing board, accused state governments of abandoning their responsibility of funding basic education.
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Public schools struggle with poor amenities – Despite annual UBEC intervention funds, access to education hasn’t improved. – Express your point of view.
Our public schools need to be well taken care of. They need to upgrade the social amenities to meet up the standard of private schools so that learning will be conducive.
The way public schools is been manage in the country is very bad and this is so because none of the government officials enrol their children in those schools and all the money budget for the development of those schools is been siphon .
It is regrettable that some of the students in these public schools have chosen to stop going to school altogether and that they must learn in such difficult environments.
Despite annual UBEC intervention funds, access to education hasn’t improved. Our educational system is not up to standard. A lot of support and fund should be put into our education
The federal government established an intervention fund for the nation’s states and the FCT to improve basic education throughout the nation.
Public school need to be taken care of and improve most children are going to public school since they can afford private school government should invest more on public school
In order to expand people’s opportunities to get a basic education throughout the country, the Universal Basic Education Commission distributes intervention money to 36 states and the federal capital territory.
Inquiries conducted by non-affiliated journalists found that a significant number of public schools are in deplorable circumstances, despite the availability of funding that were intended to improve the situation.
Pupils at these public schools are educated in extremely challenging environments, which has led some of them to make the decision to stop going to class completely.
It is common for public schools in Niger to be devoid of fundamental facilities, and this is likewise the case in Ogun’s public schools.
The corresponding funds are necessary to demonstrate the state’s commitment to investing in and prioritizing public elementary and secondary education.
When applying for funding from UBEC for the following fiscal year, it is necessary for the project from the previous year to have reached a certain percentage of completion. This is one of the requirements.
There has been no improvement in accessibility to education despite annual UBEC intervention funds. The quality of education in this country is subpar. In my opinion, our education is worthy of a lot of investment and resources.
The effort has been hampered by a number of obstacles, including the fact that many states have failed to provide the matching grant that is necessary in order to access the fund.
It sadden me when I see my country with all the resource they have couldn’t enable student to have quality education. Corruption is killing this country. Fund allocated for the development of Public were syphoned by an individual.
Since most kids can’t afford private school, it’s the responsibility of the government to ensure that the public school system thrives and improves.
Our public educational institutions require consistent and reliable support. They need to improve the social facilities so that they are on par with those found at private schools.
Some students at these public institutions have decided to stop attending classes altogether because of the difficult learning environments they provide.
With all the funds released by Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) in the 36 state of the country we still find public schools struggling with poor amenities which is as a result of high level of corruption in the country. State government should also be involve in developing these schools so that student can learn under conducive environment.
It is so irritating, students are being denied of their right. Right to Education; entails everything that tends improve access to basic education in the country. There’s is need to invest in basic education and also it is important progress are being monitored to avoid repetition of same poor conditions.