The Universal Basic Education Commission has facilitated the mobilization of over N100 billion in matching grants that previously sat dormant due to bureaucratic obstacles. According to leadership within the apex primary education body, the successful retrieval of the idle capital was achieved by overhauling matching grant guidelines, making the application process more transparent and accessible for sub-national administrators. Consequently, 30 states and the Federal Capital Territory have actively cleared the administrative hurdles necessary to draw down on the long-neglected allocations.

The Executive Secretary of the commission, Aisha Garba, announced during an inter-state operational briefing that the newly deployed financial resources are being directly systematically channeled into improving basic learning environments nationwide. Under its updated 2025–2031 Strategic Blueprint, which aligns with the Federal Government’s national development agendas, the commission has already financed the construction of more than 4,600 new classrooms and spearheaded the renovation of over 6,100 instructional facilities across the federation. The extensive infrastructural upgrades also include the creation of over 2,300 early childhood development centers and thousands of municipal school sanitation networks.

Beyond traditional classroom blocks, the federal commission is expanding its digital literacy framework by integrating artificial intelligence, foundational coding, and digital learning facilities into the public curriculum. The intervention has successfully impacted an estimated 8.7 million primary learners through the targeted distribution of 7.8 million instructional materials. While celebrating the massive capital release, education officials cautioned that sub-national education boards must continuously work to rectify localized electricity shortages and teacher distribution disparities to maximize the technological benefits of the newly digitized learning centers.

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The Federal Government has announced plans to overhaul Nigeria’s education structure, citing the alarming rate of school dropouts caused by the separation of Junior Secondary Schools (JSS) and Senior Secondary Schools (SSS).

Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, disclosed this on Tuesday during the inauguration of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) Ministerial Implementation and Monitoring Committee in Abuja.

Alausa said the existing arrangement has failed to deliver seamless access to education, revealing that more than 20 million children who enrolled in primary school dropped out before reaching senior secondary level.

According to the minister, Nigeria has about 80,000 public primary schools but only 15,000 junior secondary schools, creating a major transition gap that leaves millions of pupils without access to further education after primary school.

He explained that the policy separating JSS from SSS has contributed to overcrowding in junior secondary schools while many senior secondary schools remain underutilised.

“About 24 million children enrol in our primary schools, but only about four million complete senior secondary education. We have over 20 million children dropping out between primary school and junior secondary school. Where are those students?” he queried.

Alausa said the Tinubu administration was determined to reverse the trend and expand access to education by phasing out the policy.

“The previous governments may have failed in this regard, but this government will not fail. We are fixing this. We need to create more opportunities for children to move seamlessly through the education system.

“We have overflowing junior secondary schools and empty senior secondary schools. I can objectively report today that this disarticulation policy has failed. We will phase it out,” he stated.

The minister disclosed that the proposal would be presented at the next meeting of the National Council on Education for consideration and possible adoption.

He also inaugurated a high-powered committee chaired by education expert, Prof. Rashid Aderinoye, to accelerate the completion, handover and operationalisation of Smart Schools, Bilingual Schools and Alternative Schools funded by UBEC nationwide.

Alausa expressed concern that several completed projects remained abandoned or had not been handed over to state governments despite huge public investments.

“The purpose of these schools is to educate children, not to remain locked up after completion,” he said.

Earlier, UBEC Executive Secretary, Aisha Garba, said the Federal Government had made significant progress in expanding access to quality education through its specialised school programmes.

She revealed that 37 Smart Schools have been established across the country, with 24 already operational, while others are at different stages of completion and preparation for academic activities.

Garba also disclosed that 30 schools have been established under the UBEC-Islamic Development Bank Bilingual Education Programme across nine states, while the Alternative Schools Programme is providing learning opportunities for vulnerable and out-of-school children through flexible education models.

She said the newly inaugurated committee would ensure timely completion of projects, address implementation challenges and guarantee that educational investments deliver meaningful outcomes for Nigerian children.

Responding on behalf of the committee, Prof. Aderinoye pledged to work diligently to remove obstacles delaying project delivery and improve access to quality education nationwide.

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The UNESCO has revealed that the number of out-of-school children and young people worldwide has risen to 273 million, marking the seventh consecutive year of increase.

The figure was disclosed in its 2026 Global Education Monitoring (GEM) report, underscoring deepening challenges in access to education across the globe.

Rising global education gap

According to the report, one in six school-age children globally is currently out of school, while only two in three complete secondary education.

UNESCO noted that progress in keeping children in school has slowed significantly since 2015, reversing earlier gains made over the past two decades.

Key drivers of the crisis

The organisation identified conflict and rapid population growth as major factors contributing to the rising number of out-of-school children.

In conflict-affected regions, the situation is even more severe, with many children not captured in official statistics.

Despite this, UNESCO highlighted that global education had previously seen strong progress, with enrolment rising steadily since 2000 and millions of children gaining access to schooling.

Slowdown threatens global targets

The report warned that while access to education has improved historically, recent trends show a worrying slowdown.

Many children who enrol in school are unable to complete their education, particularly at the secondary level, due to systemic challenges.

Education systems across developing regions continue to face pressure from insecurity, population growth, and limited funding.

Funding gap widens inequality

The crisis is most pronounced in sub-Saharan Africa, where education systems are struggling with chronic underfunding.

Estimates show the region faces an annual education financing gap of about $70 billion, limiting access to quality education.

Globally, low- and middle-income countries require approximately $461 billion annually between 2023 and 2030 to meet education targets, but current funding levels fall far short.

Spending disparities remain stark, with some countries allocating as little as $55 per student annually compared to over $8,500 in high-income nations.

Nigeria’s growing challenge

Nigeria remains one of the countries most affected by the crisis, with between 18 million and 20 million children out of school.

Factors such as poverty, insecurity, and regional inequalities continue to drive the country’s high numbers.

Call for urgent action

The findings highlight a growing global education crisis that could undermine long-term economic and social development if left unaddressed.

UNESCO is calling for increased investment, stronger policies, and targeted interventions to ensure more children not only access education but complete it.

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