The Universal Basic Education Commission, UBEC, says it has so far disbursed the sum of N48.6 billion to support State Governments for training and re-training of teachers and education managers in public basic schools in the country.
The UBEC Executive Secretary, Dr Hamid Bobboyi, made this known in Abuja on Friday at a two-day capacity building for members of Education Correspondents Association of Nigeria, ECAN.
Mr Bobboyi, who was represented by the Director of Social Mobilisation at the Commission, Bello Kagara, said the intervention is under its Teacher Professional Development, TPD, Fund, implemented through on-the-job training, seminars, workshop, conferences and in-service training and mentoring.
He, however, lamented over what he described as low participation of the private sector in the delivery of basic education in Nigeria.
According to him, education is a vital tool for a viable development of the country, adding that the ultimate goal of the commission was to reach the Nigerian child in any part of the nation with quality education.
He noted that putting Nigeria’s basic education sub-sector on a sound footing would require the active support of the organised private sector.
Mr Kagara added that the support could come through the adoption of schools, the building of more classrooms and other forms of infrastructure in schools, especially in local communities across the country.
He said despite this intervention, some of the challenges in the delivery of basic education in Nigeria remains inadequate funding, poor teacher quality and low participation of the private sector.
He expressed fears that UBE funding was going to be reduced because of the effect of COVID-19 pandemic and that if this is done, basic education would be greatly imperiled.
Also speaking, the Public Relations Officer of UBEC, Dr Ossom Ossom, appealed to the media to be fair and objective as well as avoid sensationalism in the reportage of basic education issues.
Earlier in his remark, the ECAN Chairman, Chuks Ukwuatu, called for sustained partnership with UBEC in the actualising its mandate.
