UBEC Executive Secretary, Aisha Garba
By Felix Khanoba
The Federal Government has stepped up efforts to address Nigeria’s out-of-school children crisis, with the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) partnering the Sultan Foundation for Peace and Development to enlist traditional and religious leaders in driving grassroots school enrolment and retention.
The partnership, sealed through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), is designed to bridge the gap between government education policies and community action by mobilising traditional institutions to identify out-of-school children, encourage their enrolment and ensure they remain in school until completion.
The initiative comes as the Federal Government intensifies investment in basic education under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, with UBEC reporting that its infrastructure interventions had benefited more than 2.3 million learners by the end of 2025.
Under the agreement, UBEC and the Sultan Foundation will establish national, state and local coordinating committees to lead advocacy campaigns and community mobilisation, particularly in underserved communities where poverty, cultural practices and other social challenges continue to limit children’s access to education.
Speaking at the MoU signing ceremony, UBEC Executive Secretary, Aisha Garba, who was represented by the Deputy Executive Secretary (Technical), Rasaq Akinyemi, said the partnership reflected President Tinubu’s recognition of education as a critical instrument for national development and human capital advancement.
She said the Renewed Hope Agenda placed emphasis on deliberate investment in the education, skills and wellbeing of Nigerian children and young people, adding that UBEC’s interventions were aimed at translating the administration’s vision into measurable improvements in basic education.
Garba acknowledged the policy direction of the Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, and the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Said Ahmad, saying their commitment to strengthening the sector, improving institutional coordination and expanding access to inclusive education continued to guide the Commission’s programmes.
She explained that UBEC, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Education and State Universal Basic Education Boards (SUBEBs), had facilitated the construction of more than 4,900 classrooms, renovation of existing school facilities and provision of water, sanitation and hygiene facilities across the country.
According to her, the infrastructure projects had directly benefited over 2.3 million learners as of December 2025.
The Executive Secretary also highlighted the Commission’s efforts in community-driven school improvement, teacher professional development and capacity building for school administrators, aimed at improving teaching standards and learning outcomes.
However, she stressed that government investment alone would not be sufficient to address the challenges confronting basic education without stronger community ownership and active participation by stakeholders.
Explaining the importance of the partnership, Garba said the Sultan Foundation would provide a strategic platform for connecting government policies with traditional leadership and grassroots action, particularly in communities where social and economic barriers continue to keep children out of school.
She said the agreement would also facilitate the production and distribution of educational advocacy materials in Hausa, Fulfulde and Yoruba to improve awareness and encourage greater community participation.
Other components of the partnership include household-level identification of out-of-school children, their enrolment in nearby schools and community-based monitoring of pupils’ attendance, retention and completion.
The agreement also provides for accountability mechanisms to recognise communities, schools and traditional leaders that record measurable improvements in access to basic education.
Garba described traditional and religious leaders as critical partners in the campaign, given their influence over community values, family decisions and grassroots mobilisation.
She particularly emphasised their role in promoting girls’ education and addressing cultural and social barriers that prevent children from accessing learning opportunities.
She said the effectiveness of the partnership would ultimately be assessed through increased enrolment, improved school attendance and retention, better learning outcomes and a sustained reduction in the number of out-of-school children.
In his remarks, Kebbi State Deputy Governor, Senator Umar Abubakar Tafida, who represented Governor Nasir Idris, commended the Sultan Foundation for Peace and Development for its contributions to health and social development.
He particularly acknowledged the Foundation’s interventions supported by development partners, including the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, saying they had helped improve the welfare and educational opportunities of vulnerable children.
Tafida described the Foundation’s commitment to supporting disadvantaged children as a reflection of the values of Islam and humanity.
He also conveyed the goodwill of Governor Idris to UBEC, the Sultan Foundation and the Nasara Foundation.
Reaffirming the Commission’s commitment to the Federal Government’s education reforms, Garba assured that UBEC would sustain its collaboration with state governments and other stakeholders to consolidate existing achievements and expand access to quality basic education.
She said the Commission remained committed to advancing President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda through the policy direction of the Education Minister, Dr Alausa, with a focus on ensuring that every Nigerian child had access to quality basic education.
