By Ngozi Nwankwo
Universal Basic Education Commission, UBEC, has said over 8.7 million learners have benefited from improved learning conditions and instructional materials, large-scale reforms under the 2025-2031 Strategic Blueprint.
The Executive Secretary, UBEC, Aisha Garba, disclosed this on Tuesday at the opening ceremony of the 29th Quarterly Meeting of UBEC Management with Executive Chairmen of State Universal Basic Education Boards, SUBEBs, in Abuja.
Garba said that more than 244,000 teachers have been equipped with skills in inclusive pedagogy and digital literacy, adding that these gains represent meaningful progress towards improving learning outcomes across the basic education system.
The Executive Secretary said the impact was as a result of the Commission shifting focus from diagnosing systemic challenges to implementing coordinated, large-scale reforms under the 2025-2031 Strategic Blueprint.
She explained that through sustained, data-driven advocacy, the commission had unlocked over 100 billion in previously unaccessed matching grants, with 30 states and the FCT now actively drawing down on basic education funds.
“We have adapted to the evolving needs of States’ basic education. I’m pleased to announce that the revised Matching Grants Guidelines are now finalised, streamlined, transparent, and fit for purpose, strengthening our commitment to ensure every Nigerian child reaches their full academic potential,” she said.
On the digitisation initiative,the Executive Secretary said the Commission has
expanded access to digital learning platforms, strengthened teacher capacity in digital pedagogy, and enhanced classroom delivery through interactive content.
“UBEC has continued to strengthen its role as a sector data hub through improvements to the NEDI platform and the development of the Basic Education Management Information System,BEMIS, supporting planning, monitoring, and performance tracking across states. in the same vein, we have leveraged the Matching Grant as a funding mechanism for this ambition, through the revision of the utilisation formula. While infrastructure accounts for 75 percent of the funds, we expanded the remaining 25 percent to include dedicated provisions for ICT and teacher training, as well as planning and Education Management Information Systems,EMIS,” she said.
Digitisation, according to her, is not only transforming classroom delivery, it is a critical enabler for strengthening coordination, improving efficiency, and ensuring that decisions are guided by timely and reliable data.
She however said the meeting provided an opportunity to examine how digital systems could be more effectively embedded across all the planning, monitoring, and implementation processes, saying that this would strengthen collaboration between UBEC and SUBEBS, improve accountability, and ultimately drive better outcomes at the school level.
While reaffirming the Commission’s unwavering commitment to working closely with SUBEBs to strengthen coordination, improve performance, and deliver measurable impact across the basic education sector, Garba urged states to approach these deliberations with openness, practicality, and a shared commitment to results.
“We must move beyond recognising the importance of digital transformation to actively institutionalising it within our day-to-day operations. The effectiveness of our systems and the learning outcomes of our children will depend on the actions we take here,” she said.
