In a statement issued on Friday by the federal ministry of education, the handover ceremony is scheduled to hold on June 2, 2026, in Abuja.

According to the statement, the intervention falls under “The project for capacity-building of teachers to promote continuous and inclusive access to safe and quality education for girls in West Africa.”

The ministry said the initiative represents a strategic investment aimed at strengthening teacher education, improving digital learning, and expanding inclusive access to quality education, particularly for girls.

The project is funded by the government of Japan through UNESCO’s International Institute for Capacity Building in Africa (UNESCO-IICBA).

The ministry explained that the initiative seeks to address major educational challenges confronting countries in West Africa, including low educational attainment, high numbers of out-of-school children, learning poverty, gender inequality, and shortage of qualified teachers.

It added that the project targets six West African countries and is designed to strengthen teacher professional development, improve teacher training institutions, and promote the use of digital technologies in teaching and learning.

The intervention is being implemented in collaboration with the African Union International Centre for the Education of Girls and Women in Africa (AU/CIEFFA) and the African Union Education, Science, Technology and Innovation (ESTI) team in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Beneficiaries include the federal ministry of education, teacher training institutions, teacher educators, school inspectors, and primary and secondary school teachers across Nigeria.

The ICT items to be distributed include 65 laptops, 71 tablets, four desktop computers, five interactive smart boards, 19 all-in-one desktop computers, 14 projectors, 15 printers, and 15 backup hard drives.

The beneficiary institutions are Federal College of Education, Kontagora; Federal College of Education, Zaria; Federal College of Education (Technical), Gombe; Federal College of Education, Yola; Federal College of Education (Technical), Asaba; and Federal College of Education (Special), Oyo.

Others are Federal College of Education (Technical), Umunze; College of Education, Zuba; Isaac Jasper Boro College of Education; Enugu State College of Education (Technical); Sa’adatu Rimi College of Education, Kano; Adamu Augie College of Education, Argungu; Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto; Adamawa State College of Education, Hong; and Taraba State College of Education, Zing.

The ministry said the intervention is expected to improve teaching quality, promote ICT-driven learning, and create safer and more inclusive learning environments for girls.

It added that the adoption of gender-responsive and conflict-sensitive teaching approaches would help improve retention and learning outcomes among female students.

According to the ministry, implementation strategies include teacher capacity building, introduction of school safety guidelines, infrastructure upgrades in teacher training institutions, provision of digital learning tools, and promotion of knowledge-sharing platforms.

The ministry also announced additional education-focused initiatives by UNESCO-IICBA, and the government of Japan targeted at vulnerable groups and crisis-affected communities.

One of the new interventions is titled “Empowering female teachers and school leaders in crisis situations through integrating mobile-based learning in the Pan African virtual and electronic university (PAVEU) initiative.”

The project aims to support female teachers and school leaders in crisis-affected communities through mobile-based learning solutions developed in partnership with Japanese EdTech company Castalia Co. Ltd and the African Union’s Pan African virtual and electronic university initiative.

The initiative will cover platform development, course creation, pilot training programmes, outreach, monitoring, and evaluation in Nigeria, Kenya, Cameroon, Algeria, and South Sudan.

Nigerian institutions expected to benefit include Jigawa State College of Education, Gumel; Umar Ibn El-Kanemi Ibrahim College of Education Science and Technology, Bama; College of Education, Gashua; Federal University of Education, Pankshin; Adeyemi Federal University of Education, Ondo State; Federal College of Education, Ofeme Ohuhu; Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education; and Cross River State College of Education, Akamkpa.

Another intervention announced by the ministry is “The project for enabling out-of-school children to join Formal education through accelerated Learning.”

According to the ministry, the project is designed to reintegrate out-of-school children into the formal education system through flexible accelerated learning models that combine academic support, psychosocial care, life skills development, and safe learning spaces.

The federal ministry of education commended the government of Japan, UNESCO-IICBA, the African Union, and other development partners for supporting efforts to improve inclusive and quality education in Nigeria.

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Speaking at the national flag-off of the 2025 SBMC-SIP implementation in Abuja on Thursday, Aisha Garba, executive secretary of UBEC, said the intervention underscores the federal government’s renewed commitment to improving school infrastructure, strengthening community participation, and ensuring that children not only enrol in school but remain until completion.

Garba disclosed that N5.18 billion earmarked for the 2025 programme will support 518 communities nationwide, with each state and the Federal Capital Territory benefiting from 14 schools.

Represented by Rasaq Akinyemi, she said the intervention will prioritise underserved areas, focusing on the rehabilitation of dilapidated school structures, provision of classroom furniture, and improvement of water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) facilities.

“This represents a renewed national commitment to strengthening community participation in school governance, improving learning environments across the federation, and ensuring that every Nigerian child not only enrols in school but remains to successfully complete basic education,” she said.

Garba noted that the event marked four key milestones, including a review of implementation progress under the 2023 and 2024 SBMC-SIP cycles, disbursement of final tranche funds for the previous cycle, the national flag-off of the 2025 programme, and the official launch of the Learner Retention Programme.

She said the SBMC-SIP has continued to demonstrate impact as a community-driven initiative, with over 1,112 schools supported nationwide and more than N1.5 billion disbursed in earlier cycles.

According to her, a total of 13,670 projects have been initiated across the country, many of which are expected to attract over 400,000 children back to school.

“As we complete one cycle and begin another, we must ensure that implementation is guided by transparency, accountability, and timeliness,” she said, adding that UBEC will continue to collaborate with State Universal Basic Education Boards (SUBEBs) and local stakeholders to ensure effective delivery.

Garba also announced the disbursement of N434.5 million as the final tranche of the 2023 and 2024 SBMC-SIP funds, aimed at supporting the completion of 11,484 ongoing projects nationwide.

Beyond infrastructure, the commission used the occasion to launch the Learner Retention Support Programme, targeting one million pupils across eight states in its first phase, with a budget of N5 billion.

She explained that the initiative is designed to address socio-economic barriers that hinder school attendance, reduce dropout rates, and encourage sustained participation in education.

“Access to education is important, but retention is what ensures that its promise is fulfilled. We must address the realities that force children out of school,” she added.

In his remarks, Tunji Alausa, minister of education, described the initiatives as critical components of the federal government’s strategy to strengthen basic education and achieve inclusive learning outcomes.

Represented by Folake Olatunji-David, Alausa said the programmes align with national education policies, including the Universal Basic Education Act and the National Policy on Education, as well as global commitments such as the Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4).

He noted that the SBMC-SIP promotes decentralisation and community ownership of school development, while the learner retention programme directly targets the reduction of out-of-school children, particularly in high-burden states.

“These initiatives reaffirm government’s commitment to ensuring that every school-age child is enrolled, retained, and able to complete basic education,” he said.

The minister also urged stakeholders, including SUBEBs, local authorities, and community leaders, to ensure transparency and accountability in the use of funds, stressing that the success of the interventions depends on effective implementation and monitoring at the grassroots level.

Stakeholders at the event reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening collaboration, improving school environments, and ensuring that education reforms translate into measurable outcomes for Nigerian children.

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 Aisha Garba, executive secretary of the commission, has ordered a comprehensive review of UBEC’s public-private engagement and partnerships (PPEP) framework to align with ongoing reforms within agency.

To implement the directive, experts, senior officials of the commission and other stakeholders on Wednesday began a three-day technical meeting in Lagos to review the PPEP framework.

The exercise is being carried out in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

David Apeh, UBEC’s spokesperson, said the commission recognises the critical role of strategic partnerships in driving sustainable education reforms.

He said UBEC is proposing a more robust and inclusive framework that will institutionalise collaboration and provide clear guidelines for engaging government agencies, corporate organisations, development partners, civil society groups and philanthropic foundations.

Apeh outlined the objectives of the meeting to include drawing from experts’ experiences in electronic public-private partnerships, enriching UBEC’s draft framework, identifying priority areas, developing partnership models and strengthening implementation strategies.

The process, he added, will ensure alignment with national education policies.

The review comes as Garba renews her pledge to improve basic education delivery across the country.

She described education as a fundamental right and raised concerns over Nigeria’s out-of-school population, currently estimated at 17 million children.

Garba also cited challenges such as low learning outcomes, poor completion rates and limited access to higher education. She outlined plans to expand access, improve quality and promote safe, inclusive learning environments.

Key strategies under her leadership include leveraging partnerships, deploying targeted interventions, integrating technology into teaching and learning, upgrading infrastructure and prioritising inclusivity — particularly for children with disabilities and the girl-child.

She called for stronger collaboration with state governments, development partners and community leaders to expand access, reduce out-of-school numbers and maximise the use of UBEC matching grants.

Garba assured that the commission will pursue region-specific solutions and adopt a multi-sectoral approach to drive meaningful reforms in basic education.

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The federal government signed agreement on behalf of the Kaduna state government, which forms part of a broader $62.8 million blended financing package with international development partners designed to expand access to quality and inclusive education in one of the country’s most affected regions.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, Mohammed Manga, the director of information and public relations at the federal ministry of finance, said the loan is expected to finance the reaching out-of-school children programme.

“In a significant step towards improving access to quality education in Nigeria, the federal government and the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development have partnered to support the Reaching Out-of-School Children programme in Kaduna State,” the statement reads.

“This partnership is built on a $25.35m concessionary loan agreement signed today between the Federal Government of Nigeria, on behalf of Kaduna State and the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development.

“The facility forms part of a wider $62.8m blended package with international partners that will expand access to quality, inclusive education and improve learning outcomes for some of Nigeria’s most vulnerable children.”

Wale Edun, the minister of finance and coordinating minister of the economy, who was represented at the signing by Doris Uzoka-Anite, the minister of state for finance, said the programme highlights the government’s commitment to transparency, accountability, and measurable outcomes in social sector investments.

Edun pointed out that every dollar of assistance must result in tangible and noticeable development because millions of children are still not attending school, especially in northern Nigeria.

He expressed optimism that the project could be replicated in other states and praised Kaduna State for its strong engagement with partners and aggressive leadership.

Uba Sani, the governor of Kaduna, reiterated the state’s emphasis on education and revealed his administration had already met its $1 million counterpart financing promise.

He said the state had increased the education sector’s share of the 2025 budget to 26 percent as part of a broader commitment to human capital development.

Wahid Al-Bahar, the director-general of the Kuwait Fund, described the project as an investment in hope, noting that its goals extend beyond infrastructure.

He said the fund was proud to support an initiative that aims to guarantee access to learning for every child, stressing that success would be judged by improved enrolment, stronger learning outcomes, and community engagement.

The other partners in the financing structure include the Islamic Development Bank, which is contributing a $10.5 million loan; the Global Partnership for Education, offering a $15.45m grant; the Education Above All Foundation, with a $10 million grant; and Save the Children International, which is providing $0.5 million in technical assistance. Kaduna state’s contribution stands at $1million.

The post FG secures $25.35m Kuwait loan to address out-of-school crisis in Kaduna first appeared on The Times of Abuja.

Aisha Garba, the executive secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), says the nation’s 17 million out-of-school children is a staggering obstacle to progress towards achieving universal access to education for every Nigerian child.

Garba spoke during a with members of management and staff of the commission in Abuja, the nation’s capital, on her assumption of office as the UBEC executive secretary.

In a statement by David Apeh, spokesperson of the commission, the UBEC boss stressed that education is the right of every Nigerian child as captured in the article 26 of the 1948 universal declaration of human rights.

She promised to deploy strategies to advance the delivery of quality basic education for the millions of school-aged children in Nigeria.

“According to a World Bank capital index, students in Nigeria score 309 on a harmonized test score scale, where 625 is considered advanced attainment and 300 represents minimum attainment,” the statement reads.

“According to UNICEF, the primary school completion rate for Nigeria was at 59% in 2020 for boys and 51% for girls. The secondary school completion rate is even lower, with boys at 42% and girls at 36%.

“Access to higher education is still a challenge: while about two million candidates sit for the JAMB examinations every year, only about 500,000 are accepted.”

She highlighted the importance of partnership and collaboration to drive the development of basic education in the country.

Garba said her goal is to deliver on the UBEC mandate, which includes strengthening collaboration, partnerships, and institutional learning for effective service delivery.

“Together, we will work to increase access, improve quality, provide conducive and safe learning environments, supply adequate teaching and learning materials, and adopt the concept of ‘best fit’ in addressing specific basic education challenges, state by state and region by region (not a one-size-fits-all solution),” she stated.

She added that the commission under her watch would seek a multi-sectoral approach to address the demand and supply-side barriers to basic education which has continued to exacerbate the challenge of out-of-school children.

According to her, UBEC would work collaboratively with ministries, departments and agencies, commissions, and development partners on reforms and interventions to increase access and significantly reduce the high number of out-of-school children.

She listed some key action plans including the deployment of appropriate interventions, the use of technology, the construction of critical infrastructure, and the upgrading of school facilities.

“We will ensure the integration of children with special needs, promote education for the girl-child, and work with relevant partners to make schools safe and conducive for learning,” she added.

“In addition, we will work with local government education authorities and community stakeholders in expanding access to basic education in rural, disadvantaged, and hard-to-reach jurisdictions.

“We will work closely with state governors to increase the uptake and utilisation of the UBEC Matching Grants through strategic partnerships and engagement.”

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