UBEC Disburses N5bn To 518 Communities To Tackle Out-of-School Children Syndrome

The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) has disbursed over N5 billion to 518 communities across Nigeria under the School-Based Management Committee-School Improvement Programme (SBMC-SIP).

The disbursement was part of efforts to strengthen basic education delivery and tackle the challenge of out-of-school children.

Speaking at the national flag-off of the 2025 SBMC-SIP implementation on Thursday in Abuja, UBEC Executive Secretary, Dr. Aisha Garba, said the intervention underscored the Federal Government’s renewed commitment to improving school infrastructure, deepening community participation, and ensuring that children not only enroll in school but remain through completion.

She disclosed that the N5.18 billion earmarked for the 2025 programme will support 518 communities nationwide, with 14 schools from each state and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) benefiting.

Represented by the Deputy Executive Secretary (Technical), Mr. Rasaq Olajuwon Akinyemi, Garba said the intervention will prioritise underserved areas, focusing on the rehabilitation of dilapidated structures, provision of classroom furniture, and improvement of water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) facilities.

“This represents a renewed national commitment to strengthening community participation in school governance, improving learning environments across the Federation, and ensuring that every Nigerian child not only enrolls in school but remains in school to successfully complete basic education.

“The event brings together four significant moments in one: a review of implementation progress under the 2023 and 2024 SBMC-SIP cycles; the formal disbursement of the final tranche support funds for that cycle; the national flag-off of the 2025 School-Based Management Committee–School Improvement Programme; and the official launch of the Learner Retention Programme.

“Collectively, these actions reflect a deliberate and integrated strategy to strengthen school governance, improve infrastructure, deepen community ownership, and systematically address the barriers that keep children out of school or push them out before completion,” the UBEC boss stated.

She noted that the SBMC-SIP has continued to demonstrate impact as a community-driven initiative, with over 1,112 schools supported across the country and more than N1.5 billion disbursed in previous cycles.

According to her, a total of 13,670 projects have been initiated nationwide, many of which were expected to attract over 400,000 children back to school.

“As we complete one cycle and begin another, we must ensure that implementation is guided by transparency, accountability, and timeliness,” she stressed.

Garba also announced the disbursement of N434.5 million as the final tranche of the 2023 and 2024 SBMC-SIP funds, which will support the completion of 11,484 ongoing projects across the country.

The Commission also launched the Learner Retention Support Programme, targeting one million pupils across eight states in its first phase, with a budget of N5 billion.

She explained that the initiative wax designed to address socio-economic barriers that hinder school attendance, reduce dropout rates, and encourage sustained participation in education.

“Access to education is important, but retention is what ensures that its promise is fulfilled. We must address the realities that force children out of school,” she said.

In his remarks, the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, described the initiatives as critical components of the Federal Government’s strategy to strengthen basic education and achieve inclusive learning outcomes.

He said the programmes aligned with national education policies, including the Universal Basic Education Act and the National Policy on Education, as well as global commitments such as Sustainable Development Goal 4.

Alausa, who was represented by the Director, Basic Education, Dr Folake Olatunji-David, emphasised that the SBMC-SIP promotes decentralisation and community ownership of school development, while the retention programme directly targets the reduction of out-of-school children, particularly in high-burden states.

“These initiatives reaffirm government’s commitment to ensuring that every school-age child is enrolled, retained, and able to complete basic education,” he stated.