By Felix Khanoba
The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) says it is deepening its collaboration with public institutions and private sector partners as part of efforts to fulfil its mandate of providing every Nigerian child of school age with access to quality basic education, regardless of social or economic status.
To drive this agenda, the Commission’s Executive Secretary, Aisha Garba, has directed a full-scale overhaul of its Public-Private Engagement and Partnerships (PPEP) framework in line with ongoing reforms within UBEC.
A three-day stakeholders’ session on the PPEP review is currently underway in Lagos, bringing together UBEC experts, senior officials and other partners. The exercise is being conducted in partnership with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
Confirming the development on Wednesday, a UBEC official, Mr. David Apeh, said the Commission recognizes the crucial role of structured partnerships in advancing educational transformation. He explained that UBEC is now working towards establishing a comprehensive and inclusive framework to guide its engagements with government agencies, corporate bodies, development organisations, civil society groups and philanthropic institutions.
According to him, the ongoing meeting aims to draw from experts’ experiences on e-Public Private Partnerships to strengthen the existing UBEC–PPEP Draft Framework, while jointly refining the broader Public-Private Engagement and Partnerships structure.
He added that participants are also expected to pinpoint critical priority areas, partnership models, and strategies for effective implementation, ensuring that all outcomes are in line with national education policies.
Garba, in earlier remarks, had restated the Commission’s determination to improve basic education nationwide. She underscored education as a fundamental right and expressed concern over Nigeria’s out-of-school population, currently put at 17 million.
She drew attention to persistent challenges, including low learning outcomes, weak completion rates and limited pathways to higher education, noting the disturbing figures associated with these issues.
The Executive Secretary further outlined her plans to tackle the problems by expanding access, raising quality standards and ensuring safe, conducive learning environments.
Her proposed measures include strengthening partnerships, adopting targeted interventions, deploying technology, upgrading school facilities and prioritizing inclusive education—especially for children with special needs and girls.
Garba urged stronger collaboration among stakeholders such as state governments, development partners and community leaders. She stressed the need to reduce the number of out-of-school children, improve utilization of UBEC Matching Grants, and implement region-specific solutions through a multi-sectoral approach aimed at accelerating reforms in basic education.
