The Federal Government has begun the disbursement of the Universal Basic Education Commission, UBEC, support funds to improve the quality of basic education in 1,147 schools in communities across the country.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the flag-off tagged, “Northern Phase of the 2019 School-Based Management Committee-School Improvement Programme (SBMC-SIP) and disbursement of UBEC support fund,” was held in Gombe on Monday.
The Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, said the effort was to improve the quality of basic education to contribute to national development.
Mr Adamu, represented by the Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, said the UBEC programme was community-based and stakeholder-driven, hence required collective approach for its successful implementation.
He stated that SBMC-SIP was initiated to provide financial support to communities in the planning, execution and ownership of priority basic education delivery projects in their schools.
This, according to the minister, placed grassroots stakeholders in a vintage position to improve schools as they are empowered to lead the process of positive change and accountability in the delivery of education services.
He noted that stakeholders at the community level remained vital in basic education delivery because they are, “the owners of the universal basic education institutions domiciled in their domains.”
“Recent global events have reawakened the need to improve governance and accountability in the education sector through decentralisation and proper devolution of responsibilities to structures and groups closer to the schools,” he said.
Earlier, Hamid Bobboyi, UBEC Executive Secretary, said the event was a deliberate community engagement aimed at establishing result-oriented mechanism for quality basic education delivery in Nigeria, through the SBMC.
Mr Bobboyi said the SBMC-SIP intervention had ensured the implementation of over 2,442 projects, using the 2017/2018 SBMC-SIP fund.
“I am glad to announce that for the 2019 SBMC-SIP, 1,147 communities will benefit from the fund, ranging from special grants of five million naira to macro and micro grants of N2.5 million and N250,000 respectively.
“Stakeholders in the aforementioned 1,147 schools and communities have committed themselves to providing not less than 10 per cent of the UBEC contribution as counterpart funding for the smooth implementation of all designated 2019 projects,” he said.
The executive secretary said education for all was the responsibility of all and called on stakeholders to safeguard the future and integrity of the nation by supporting SBMC-SIP.
On his part, Gov. Inuwa Yahaya, said the SBMC-SIP intervention was timely as it complemented the state’s efforts at revamping education.
Represented by his deputy, Manassah Jatau, Mr Yahaya said education remained a potent tool to achieve development in the society.
“Education is the greatest tool we can use to improve on what we do, how we do it and how we attract stakeholder’s interest in the services we render.
“Based on the reality that no nation can rise above its quality of education, the administration of Gov. Yahaya declared a state of emergency in education to reposition it for the delivery of enhanced education.
NAN
