UBEC unveils platform to track education funds, projects

The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) has launched a digital platform designed to enable parents and communities to monitor basic education projects and funds allocated by states. This comes as the commission prepares to implement its 10-year Universal Basic Education Roadmap 2026–2035 in October. Dr. Aisha Garba, the Executive Secretary of UBEC, unveiled the Basic Education Action Plan Management System during a two-day consultation workshop attended by chairmen of the 36 state Universal Basic Education Boards and commission directors.

The new platform aims to enhance transparency, planning, and monitoring of interventions under the roadmap by providing information on funds accessed by states and projects being implemented. Garba emphasized that the platform would allow communities to actively participate in monitoring school interventions and hold relevant authorities accountable for the distribution of UBEC funds and project quality.

The development is part of UBEC's shift towards a "whole school approach," requiring states to identify comprehensive school needs before approving action plans, rather than focusing on isolated projects like building classrooms or supplying furniture. The commission also plans to revise the matching-grant formula to give states greater flexibility in deploying funds based on their specific educational needs.

This move aims to improve access, infrastructure, and learning outcomes in Nigeria's basic education sector, where millions of children remain out of school and learning assessments reveal significant gaps in foundational literacy and numeracy.