The manager secretary of the Common Primary Training Fee (UBEC), Dr. Hamid Bobboyi, has mentioned many states haven’t accessed the N45.7 billion matching grant to them for the implementation of Common Primary Training (UBE) between 2020 and 2023.
Bobboyi acknowledged this yesterday when he acquired members of the Home of Representatives Committee on Primary Training and Providers on the fee on an oversight go to.
He additionally disclosed that solely 16 states had accessed the 2023 matching grant, representing 41 per cent of the appropriated N51.6 billion.
In line with him, the federal authorities appropriated N51.6 billion as an identical grant to states in 2023, explaining that solely N21 billion was accessed by the 16 states as of June 30.
He listed the 16 states to incorporate Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Enugu, Jigawa, Kano, Kwara, Nasarawa Niger, Ondo, Osun, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba and Zamfara.
“Of the N103.2 billion appropriated quantity for 2023, being two % of Consolidated Income Fund (CRF), the sum of N55 billion was utilised.
“This being the full expenditure below UBE implementation, matching grant, academic imbalance, particular training and monitoring and programmes funds as of June 30, 2024. Thus displaying 54 per cent utilisation.
“For the 2023 matching grant disbursement standing, the sum of N21 billion was accessed by 16 states out of N51.6 billion appropriated, representing 41 per cent as at June 30,” he mentioned.
He additional mentioned that one of many challenges dealing with the fee was the shortcoming of some state governments to entry the UBE matching grant as and when it’s due.
Bobboyi famous that the search to ship high quality fundamental training and handle the problem of out-of-school kids in Nigeria requires all stakeholders, together with the Nationwide Meeting, to affix forces.
He lamented that some state governments lacked political and dedication to fundamental training points, saying this additional exacerbated the menace of out-of-school kids within the nation.
The chairman, Home Committee on Common Primary Training and Providers, Hon. Mark Bako Useni, on his half, described the about 20-year-old UBEC Act, as out of date and insufficient to deal with the rising challenges of fundamental training in Nigeria; therefore the pressing have to amend the regulation.
Useni who’s member representing Takum/Ussa/Donga Federal Constituency, revealed that already, the invoice to that impact has handed first and second readings within the Home and now on the committee stage.
He mentioned, “The UBEC act has been in place for almost 20 years. From the time the regulation got here into pressure till as we speak, we’ve handed by way of a number of levels of improvement, so one can not maintain on to 1 factor over time.
“Like the difficulty of un-accessed funds, if we don’t amend the act, the problem would proceed to be there, but when the act is amended and there are measures to make sure that we overcome unaccessed funds, the first and secondary training would serve our kids higher.
He mentioned the oversight operate was essential to see how fundamental training has fared within the final yr.
Useni mentioned the committee must know the areas of intervention the fee can be required to reinforce the standard of fundamental training within the nation.
