The Federal Government has approved an upward review of matching grants of state governments for infrastructural projects under the Universal Basic Education (UBE) to N3.5 billion.
The Executive Secretary, Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Dr. Hamid Bobboyi, at a five-day financial training for SUBEB chairmen and board sSecretaries in Ibadan, yesterday, said the increased matching grants to the states for infrastructural projects was realised from the two percent consolidated revenue fund allotted for basic education in Nigeria.
He said the approval followed the passage of the 2024 Appropriation Bill, which was assented into law by the President.
“The 2024 Federal Government Statutory Allocation of the UBE Matching Grant to each state is over N3.5 billion. The grant complies with Section 11 (2) of the UBE Act, 2004. The state governments are requested to provide an equivalent amount of N3.5 billion as counterpart fund in order to execute the first to the fourth quarter, 2024 UBE intervention projects.”
Bobboyi noted that states previously were getting about N1.3 billion per year, as matching grants, but the grant had now been jacked up to N3.5 billion.
He, however, urged state governments yet to access the 2023 matching grant with the commission amounting to N1.4billion as of July 1, 2024, to do so.
“With the impressive amount, states are expected to bring in matching grants of N3.3 billion to go home with about N6.6 billion.
“This is quite an impressive amount. Of course, we also took into account that inflation had affected the grants.
“At the same time, it is very encouraging to see that the available amount is decent enough for states, because when a state brings in another N3.5 billion, it goes home with about 6.6 billion. It’s quite a reasonable amount if it could be applied well,” he said.
The UBEC boss stated that about 46 million children are in schools across the country, adding that basic education ends at the secondary school level.
He acknowledged the fact that the commission had enormous challenges, which was also true for all state SUBEBs.
Bobboyi urged the state chairmen and secretaries to work as a team and mop up the remaining out-of-school children in their individual states.
He said that the quarterly meetings of SUBEB chairmen and secretaries would allow them to look into their challenges and proffer solutions in the basic education sub-sector.
The meeting was attended by SUBEB chairmen, permanent secretaries, and executive secretaries across the country.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, has called on the newly inaugurated governing councils of federal institutions to reengineer public institutions towards skill acquisition and innovation, driving national development.
He stated this at the inauguration of the Federal Tertiary Institutions and Board of Trustees of Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) in Abuja.
He urged council members to view their appointment as a call to duty and selfless service.
He noted that their selection was based on their track records of excellence and productivity.
Mamman emphasised the critical role of councils in ensuring efficient management of tertiary institutions, absorbing pressures that would otherwise affect the government.
He reminded them to follow procurement and appointment rules to avoid conflicting interests.
The minister assured them of President Bola Tinubu’s support for building Nigerian institutions that benefited every child.
He implored the councils to reciprocate the trust by deploying their knowledge and experience to move tertiary institutions forward.
Acting Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC), Chris Maiyaki, urged appointees to see their nomination as a testament to their ability to rejuvenate higher institutions.
Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, national president, Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), appealed to the governing councils to utilise funds for their intended purpose, attract researchers and manage funds judiciously.
Responding on behalf of the chairmen, former governor of Katsina State, Aminu Masari, thanked President Tinubu for the appointment and promised to give a new direction to the institutions.
Chairmen of governing councils include: Rabe Bala, Nigerian Maritime University, Okerenkoko, Delta State, Rukayyatu Gurin, Federal University of Agriculture, Mubi, and Adamawa State.
Others are Ahmadu Salisu, Federal University of Health, Kwale, Delta State and Habib Ibrahim, Federal University of Medical Sciences, Katsina State, among others.