The Federal Government has announced that 27 states and the Federal Capital Territory have accessed N78.6 billion in Universal Basic Education (UBE) matching grants by mid‑2025, representing a 65% surge compared to January.
This update was shared on Tuesday through the official X (formerly Twitter) account of the Federal Ministry of Education.
According to the ministry, the improved performance followed the implementation of the UBEC 2025–2030 Strategic Blueprint, which introduced a revised matching grant formula that prioritizes equity, quality, accountability, and state‑specific service delivery in basic education funding.
“FG records major success as N78.6 billion in UBE Matching Grants accessed by 27 states & FCT by mid-2025, a 65% surge from January!
“This milestone follows the rollout of the UBEC 2025–2030 Strategic Blueprint, introducing a revised Matching Grant formula prioritizing: Equity Quality Accountability State-specific service delivery,” the post read in part.
The Ministry attributed the rise in accessed funds to high-level advocacy efforts jointly carried out by the Federal Ministry of Education and the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC). These efforts included direct engagement with state governors and data‑driven feedback that prompted more states to pay their counterpart funds.
Commenting on the development, Minister of Education Dr. Tunji Alausa described the results as evidence of “focused reforms and collaboration,” commending the states that have responded and urging others yet to act to do so quickly.
The Ministry of Education reiterated that it remains committed to transparent reforms and ensuring that every naira spent delivers tangible improvements in Nigeria’s basic education sector.
What you should know
In August 2024, almost a year before this latest update, Nairametrics reported that the Federal Government increased 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 total funding pool of roughly N6.6 billion.
- The funds are intended to support projects such as building and rehabilitating classrooms, providing learning materials, training teachers, and other interventions aimed at strengthening the quality of basic education across the country.
- That report also highlighted that as of mid‑2024, several states had not yet accessed their 2023 allocations, which stood at about N1.4 billion. They were urged to do so to avoid delays in projects that improve education outcomes.
With more than 46 million children already enrolled in schools nationwide, the UBE matching grant provides essential resources for expanding education infrastructure, improving learning conditions, equipping classrooms, and supporting efforts to reduce the number of out‑of‑school children.
