Ministry of Education Clarifies Allegations Against UBEC Executive Secretary

The Federal Ministry of Education has addressed recent media reports alleging financial and administrative misconduct against Dr. Aisha Garba, the Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC).

In a statement released on Tuesday by the Ministry’s Director of Press and Public Relations, Boriowo Folasade, the Ministry confirmed awareness of the allegations and stated that the matter had been internally reviewed.

The Ministry reaffirmed its confidence in Dr. Garba’s leadership, commending her efforts in driving critical reforms across the basic education sector. Dr. Garba, a development expert with over 20 years of experience in education and international development, has led several transformative initiatives since assuming office.

Under her stewardship, UBEC has:

• Constructed 4,951 new classrooms and renovated 3,070 existing ones
• Established Early Childhood Care Development and Education (ECCDE) centres
• Provided 353,625 furniture units and distributed over 5 million textbooks
• Trained more than 147,000 teachers
• Launched a national teacher professional development programme, reaching nearly 978,800 educators
• Initiated curriculum reforms in partnership with NERDC, incorporating digital literacy, entrepreneurship, and critical thinking into the basic education framework

In terms of financing, UBEC has introduced key reforms to the Basic Education Action Plan (BEAP) and the Matching Grant formula, enhancing flexibility and aligning with results-based planning. As a result, 28 states and the FCT have accessed ₦78.6 billion out of the ₦120 billion 2024 UBE intervention fund.

UBEC has also deepened collaboration with major stakeholders, including:

• The Federal and State Ministries of Education
• State Universal Basic Education Boards (SUBEBs)
• The Nigerian Governors’ Forum
• International development partners such as the World Bank, UNICEF, KOICA, FCDO, and the Islamic Development Bank

Additionally, through the School-Based Management Committee–School Improvement Programme (SBMC-SIP), the Commission has supported over 15,000 local projects, enhancing community participation in school improvement and accountability.

The Ministry reiterated its commitment to supporting institutions like UBEC in advancing the goals of Nigeria’s basic education policy and called for sustained collaboration among all education stakeholders.