The Federal Government has commenced a review of the guidelines governing state access to Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) intervention funds, with future disbursements to be tied to performance targets.
Minister of State for Education, Dr. Suwaiba Sa’id Ahmad, announced this on Wednesday during a government‑citizen engagement session organised by the Sir Ahmadu Bello Foundation at Arewa House, Kaduna.
The announcement was also contained in a statement issued by Rabiu Ibrahim, Special Assistant (Media) to the Minister of Information and National Orientation.
“The Minister of State Education, Dr. Suwaiba Sa’id Ahmad, has announced that the guidelines for accessing intervention funds from the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) are currently being reviewed to make them more flexible for state governments. She made this known on Wednesday during the ongoing government-citizen engagement organised by the Sir Ahmadu Bello Foundation in Kaduna.
“Dr. Ahmad further stated that, going forward, the disbursement of funds to state governments would be tied to performance metrics to ensure quality control, accountability, and value for money,” the statement read in part.
She explained that this reform is part of a broader effort to strengthen the delivery of basic education across the country.
What you should know
This policy shift follows the Ministry of Education’s disclosure that 27 states and the Federal Capital Territory had accessed N78.6 billion in UBEC matching grants by mid‑2025, marking a 65% increase compared to January and reflecting growing participation by state governments.
According to the ministry, the surge in accessed funds is linked to the rollout of the UBEC 2025–2030 Strategic Blueprint, which introduced a revised formula that prioritizes equity, quality, accountability, transparency, and state‑specific needs to achieve better results in basic education.
- In August 2024, the Federal Government also raised the statutory allocation for UBE matching grants from about N1.3 billion to over N3.3 billion per state. Under this arrangement, any state that provides an equivalent counterpart contribution can access a combined funding pool of roughly N6.6 billion.
- These funds are specifically targeted at projects such as classroom construction and rehabilitation, provision of modern learning materials, teacher training, and other critical interventions aimed at strengthening basic education delivery.
With more than 46 million children currently enrolled in schools nationwide, these resources are expected to significantly expand education infrastructure, improve learning conditions, support teacher development, and ultimately help reduce the country’s large population of out‑of‑school children.
