700,000 Out-of-School Children Back in Classrooms says UBEC, Distributes Learning Materials to FCT Schools

Jane Salihu

The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) has returned more than 700,000 out-of-school children to classrooms across Nigeria as part of efforts to strengthen basic education and improve learning outcomes nationwide.

The Executive Secretary of UBEC, Aisha Garba, disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja during the flag-off ceremony for the distribution of instructional materials to public basic schools in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The distribution exercise, carried out in collaboration with the Federal Capital Territory Universal Basic Education Board (FCT UBEB), is aimed at strengthening teaching and learning in public schools across the territory.

Garba said the intervention aligns with the Renewed Hope agenda of Bola Ahmed Tinubu and reflects the Federal Government’s commitment to delivering quality education for Nigerian children.

She described education as the foundation of national development, stressing that the commission remains committed to ensuring inclusive, equitable and quality education for every child regardless of background or circumstance.

According to her, the initiative forms part of UBEC’s nationwide interventions designed to improve teaching and learning outcomes in public basic schools.

Garba noted that the commission has continued to partner with State Universal Basic Education Boards across the country to improve infrastructure, teacher capacity and access to learning resources.

She disclosed that more than 10,000 classrooms have recently been constructed nationwide under UBEC interventions to improve the learning environment for pupils.

The UBEC boss added that over 500 teachers have benefited from capacity-building programmes, while more than 400,000 teaching and learning materials have been distributed to schools nationwide.

Garba further explained that the commission has also supplied smart boards, tablets, desktop computers and over 400,000 library materials to enhance digital learning and strengthen classroom delivery.

She said the materials being distributed in the FCT include core subject textbooks, teacher resource packs and digital learning aids expected to benefit no fewer than 10,000 pupils in public basic schools.

Meanwhile, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, said the FCT Administration had approved the renovation of 108 public schools in the territory in line with the Renewed Hope agenda of President Tinubu.

Represented by the FCT Education Mandate Secretary, Danlami Hajo, the minister added that the territory has remained consistent in meeting its counterpart funding obligations to UBEC to sustain basic education development.