Nigeria’s Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Olatunji Alausa, has called on State Universal Basic Education Boards (SUBEBs) to identify innovative approaches to implementing the basic education system in the nation.
The minister made the call at the opening of a three-day meeting of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) management with executive chairmen of State Universal Basic Education Boards from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Abuja, Nigeria.
In the meeting with the theme “Strengthening Collaboration for Quality Basic Education Delivery in Nigeria,” the Minister said the new approaches should involve collaborations that will ensure that every child in the country irrespective of location receives quality education.
“I urge participants to reevaluate existing strategies and identify innovative approaches to implementing basic education, including exploring alternative funding sources and fostering collaboration to ensure that every Nigerian child receives quality education,” he said.
Alausa emphasised the Nigerian government’s dedication to prioritising qualitative basic education, which is recognised as the most vital segment of the education sector, including the growing crisis of out-of-school children.
“The development of this foundational level is essential for the positive impact of the other tiers of the educational system and its contribution to overall national development.
“The Federal Ministry of Education is, therefore, committed to improving teacher quality, enhancing the school environment, ensuring the availability of adequate instructional materials, and implementing an effective quality assurance evaluation system.
“We are also focused on strengthening collaboration with all relevant stakeholders to develop result-oriented strategies aimed at reducing the growing number of out-of-school children,” said the Minister.
According to him, President Bola Tinubu in his commitment to growing the education sector, has directed all stakeholders in the basic education sub-sector to work towards returning children back to the classroom thus decreasing the number of out-of-school children.
He said a committee has also been set up to outline the process for categorising schools in Nigeria to identify areas where urgent interventions are needed.
“These efforts are designed to prepare Nigerian youths for the 21st-century economy, in line with Mr. President’s initiative of ‘Education for Renewed Hope,” he said.
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The Minister was represented by his Senior Special Assistant (SSA), Dr. Ismaila Adiatu,
The Executive Secretary of UBEC, Hajiya Aisha Garba, said the gathering was a testament to its collective commitment to ensuring that every Nigerian child has access to quality basic education, regardless of the education programme in Nigeria.
“We must prioritise our society-based education by ensuring effective collaboration at national and state levels, within the education sector and beyond.
“This workshop provides us with a unique opportunity to collectively evaluate our progress so far, identify challenges, and chart a new pathway towards achieving our shared goal of an effective basic education system in Nigeria. While I have knowledge over the decades, it is still imperative that we address the most essential issues.”
She regretted that Nigeria still has poor quality of education systems, especially at the basic level, stressing that stakeholders must work together to address the challenges that weaken the system.
“We must ensure financing basic of education, infrastructure, improve quality of education, ensure the relevance and accessibility of learning materials, address challenges of teachers, and working together to improve the social infrastructure of an inclusive teaching and learning environment,” she said
The Dean of Chairmen of SUBEBs, Prof. Adaramaja Shehu, appreciated the commitment of the Executive Secretary and her management team for their prompt responses to issues of basic education.
He thanked the Executive Secretary for the approval of the 2023/2024 teachers’ development fund in their state, saying that capacity building for teachers across the states would soon kick-off.
He expressed confidence that the meeting would strategize on improving the effectiveness of schools and uphold best practices to boost learning outcomes, urging the chairmen to join hands in eradicating the issue of out-of-school children.
State Commissioners of education across the country are expected to join the meeting on its second day.
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