Garba Flags Off National Initiative to Tackle Out-of-School Crisis
The Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission, Dr Aisha Garba, on Friday flagged off the national rollout of the Learners Support Programme, declaring that no Nigerian child should be left behind in accessing basic education.
Garba launched the initiative in Makurdi at the Benue State Universal Basic Education Board Basic Education Summit, describing the programme as a decisive intervention to confront the persistent challenge of out-of-school children across the country.
The summit, themed Innovative Strategies for Addressing the Menace of Out-of-School Children: Enhancing Enrolment and Retention of Children in Basic Schools, brought together government officials, lawmakers, education stakeholders, development partners, teachers, parents and community leaders.
“This isn’t just a policy update; it is a solemn promise that no child, regardless of their geography or background, will be left behind,” Garba said.
She explained that the Learners Support Programme would involve the nationwide distribution of 1,155,900 school kits, comprising 288,975 units each of school bags, sandals, pencils and exercise books. The intervention targets vulnerable children from low-income households to ease financial burdens and boost enrolment, retention and transition in basic schools.
“Launching the provision of essential school kits, learning materials and targeted support to vulnerable learners, thereby removing barriers to enrolment and retention while equipping children for effective schooling, complements this summit,” she said.
Garba commended the leadership of Hyacinth Alia and the Chairman of Benue SUBEB, Grace Adagba, for hosting what she described as landmark events aimed at confronting one of Nigeria’s most urgent national challenges.
She noted that millions of children are still denied their fundamental right to education as guaranteed by the Universal Basic Education Act, adding that the choice of Benue State for the national flag-off was deliberate.
“On the one hand, this state has shown an uncanny resolve to raise basic education delivery to new heights, and I am attracted to excellent service delivery,” she said.
Highlighting UBEC’s partnership with Benue SUBEB, Garba disclosed that the state is up to date in accessing matching grants and has demonstrated effective utilisation. She added that recent restructuring within the commission relaxed access conditions and aligned disbursements to individual state needs, improving access to matching grants by over 80 per cent nationwide.
She listed infrastructure gains in Benue to include the construction of 39 new classrooms, 50 toilets, 15 offices, five libraries, five ICT laboratories and five Early Childhood Care and Development Education centres. In addition, 182 classrooms and other facilities were renovated, while thousands of pupils and teachers received furniture support.
Under the School-Based Management Committee–School Improvement Programme, she said 13,670 community-priority projects had been executed, supported by over N1.5 billion in first-tranche funding to 1,142 schools, with an expected impact on more than 430,000 learners and their communities.
Garba emphasised that government alone cannot resolve the out-of-school crisis, calling for stronger community mobilisation, the use of technology to track enrolment, improved security in vulnerable schools, incentives for girl-child education, inclusive teacher training and non-formal education pathways for older out-of-school children.
“Combating out-of-school children requires bold innovation, urgent action and genuine collaboration,” she said.
She reaffirmed UBEC’s commitment to supporting Benue State in scaling up enrolment drives, strengthening SBMC-SIP activities and enhancing out-of-school children reduction strategies through programmes such as the Learners Retention Support Programme and the Learners Support Programme.
The basic education sector has continued to face structural challenges decades after the enactment of the Universal Basic Education Act in 2004, which guarantees nine years of free and compulsory education.
Poverty, insecurity, cultural barriers, child labour and weak infrastructure remain major factors undermining enrolment and retention, particularly in rural and conflict-affected communities.
