FG has released over N380bn as UBE matching grant -Bobboyi
The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) has disclosed that the total statutory releases by the Federal Government as FGN-UBE Matching Grant from 2005 to October 31, 2017 stood at three hundred and eighty billion, fifty-two million, five hundred and thirteen thousand, four hundred and ninety-one naira, seventy six kobo (N380, 052,513,491.76).
This is even as the commission decried poor commitment of many state governments in the country to the promotion and development of basic education sub-sector, accusing them of neglecting their roles in the efforts to rebuild the nation’s education foundation.
The Executive Secretary of the Commission, Dr. Hammid Bobboyi, stated this on Thursday in Lagos while delivering the keynote address at a summit on basic education organised by the Education Writers’ Association of Nigeria (EWAN).
The summit, which was chaired by Nigeria’s former Representative to UNESCO, Emeritus Prof. Michael Omolewa, was an interventional initiative by the group, which is peopled by journalists across print, electronic and online, who cover the education sector.
Bobboyi, who was represented at the event by his Deputy, Dr. Sharon Oviemuno, said N303, 933,462,013.90 representing 80 per cent of the total matching grants has been disbursed to 36 states and Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, leaving a balance 20 per cent un-accessed.
The UBEC boss listed other challenges confronting the sector to include the huge figure of out-of-school children and youths including the Almajiri and children with special needs and getting them into basic education schools;
low level of budgetary allocation to basic education at state and local Government levels; dwindling government revenue at all levels; general insecurity in schools occasioned by insurgency, kidnapping, rape, among many others.
“Therefore, we must build on a rich intellectual culture to build a robust educational future not only for the states but for the entire country.”
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The National President of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), Comrade Micheal Alogba-Olukoya, who was represented by the Union’s Deputy Chairman in Lagos, Adedoyin Adeshina, said education was the bedrock for national development.
He also said the funding of basic primary education should not be handed over to local government as being proposed, urging stakeholders to intervene.
Speaking earlier, the former Edo State Commissioner for Education, Prof. Ngozi Osarenren, commended the association for coming up with the programme, saying the theme; ‘Whither Basic Education in Nigeria?” was apt and instructive.
She said until stakeholders decided to give children the best education standard, the country would not be able to meet up with global practices.
According to her, admission seekers jumped into studying education because they could not meet up with cut-off marks of their initial courses they choose to study.
However, the she said mass failure recorded in Mathematics is a result of teachers skipping some topics in the subject because they don’t know it.
“You cannot give what you don’t have. Teachers that are not versatile enough cannot teach our children”, she added.
The Chairman of EWAN, Mr. Tunbosun Ogundare, in his welcome address, said the intervention had become necessary based on the dwindling fortune of education in the country.
He said beyond reporting, action was needed on the part of journalists to mobilise stakeholders to achieve the deserved progress in the nation’s education sector.
Esther Taiwo
