29 states fail to access N68b universal basic education fund
Niger paid N2.6 billion; Taraba’s lodgement was N1.39 billion; Sokoto N1.39 billion, while Enugu, Jigawa and Ondo paid N1.7 billion, N697 million and N1.39 billion respectively.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) recently estimated the total number of out-of-school children in Nigeria to 20.2 million, saying one in three children in the country is out of school.
According to the agency, of the figure, 10.2 million are at the primary level, while 10 million are at the junior secondary school level.
UNICEF added that one in every five out-of-school children in the world is in Nigeria, with over 60 per cent in the north.
Despite the staggering number, states have failed to access UBEC funds meant to develop the basic education sub-sector.
The UBEC matching grant, which states can only access through payment of 50 per cent counterpart funds, is to upgrade facilities and provide basic needs in primary schools, such as infrastructural development, provision of instructional materials, boreholes and toilet facilities, as well as training and retraining of teachers, among others, to boost enrollment and retention in schools.
However, the funds which have continued to accumulate over the years, have remained unutilised for the development of this critical sub- sector.
While the management of primary and junior secondary education are the primary responsibility of local and state governments, a good number of the states are not keen on funding the sub-sector to enhance foundational learning.
Under the UBEC Act, each state gets an average of N1.5 billion yearly from the commission for the funding of basic education, which will amount to N3 billion with the payment of the matching grant.
