By correspondent
Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Aisha Garba has urged senior staff of the commission to embrace stronger collaboration, innovation and accountability as the commission pursues its 2025–2028 Strategic Blueprint.
Garba gave the charge at the opening of a two-day retreat for UBEC senior staff on Thursday in Ikeja.
The retreat had the theme: ‘Repositioning UBEC for Sustainable Basic Education Delivery in Nigeria’.
She said, “This is a valuable opportunity for us to reconnect, reflect and realign around the important work we have been entrusted with.”
The executive secretary said that dedication and professionalism of the commission’s leadership had been critical in advancing its mandate.
She identified Solina, KPMG and Lagos Business School as some of UBEC’s partners, saying that they had played strategic roles.
“Your insights, constructive questions and strategic support continue to push us to improve and innovate,” she said.
According to Garba, the retreat is not just about taking stock but also about shaping the future of education delivery in Nigeria.
She said that the retreat was also about allowing participants to evaluate progress, identify areas of improvement and set clearer priorities in line with UBEC’s 2025–2028 Strategic Blueprint.
Garba said that the commission had so far built over 4,900 classrooms and established 34 model and smart schools in collaboration with State Universal Basic Education Boards.
She added that it had supplied more than 353,000 units of furniture and directly impacted over 2.3 million learners nationwide.
She said that efforts were ongoing to enhance teacher quality through the Teacher Professional Development (TPD) programme which, she said, was equipping educators with new knowledge and skills.
“Our mandate is ambitious because we are shaping the future of millions of Nigerian children; hence, the need for stronger planning and teamwork.
The Commission’s Deputy Executive Secretary (Technical), Mr Rasaq Olajuwon, said that the retreat was a strategic step to reposition the commission for sustainable and effective delivery of basic education nationwide.
“This retreat gives us an opportunity to reflect, recalibrate and realign our strategies to ensure every Nigerian child has access to quality education.”
Olajuwon applauded Garba for convening the retreat, saying that her commitment to reform and service delivery reflected a deep understanding of urgent education needs.
Highlighting the retreat’s theme, he said it was timely, saying that UBEC must confront systemic bottlenecks and realign strategies to ensure improved learning outcomes for every Nigerian child.
He identified rising number of out-of-school children, inadequate teacher supply, poor infrastructure, weak planning, and low learning outcomes as challenges affecting public confidence in Nigeria’s education system.
“The success of this repositioning effort depends on collective will, accountability, collaboration and dedication to delivering results that will transform the future of Nigerian children,” he said.