Abuja, Nigeria – The Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Dr Aisha Garba, has raised alarm over what she described as a “crisis of great magnitude” in Nigeria’s education sector, urging immediate, collective action from all stakeholders to guarantee quality basic education for every child.
Speaking during a high-level stakeholders’ meeting jointly convened by the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and UBEC in Abuja, Dr Garba highlighted two pressing concerns: the country’s ballooning out-of-school population—estimated by UNESCO at 20 million—and a deepening learning crisis where children enrolled in schools fail to acquire essential literacy and numeracy skills.
According to a statement released on Friday, the meeting brought together education policymakers from all 36 states of the federation, as well as development partners including the World Bank, European Union, and UNICEF.
In her opening address, Dr Garba warned that the educational shortfalls threaten the nation’s long-term development and jeopardise the future of millions of Nigerian children.
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“Our country is facing an education crisis of great magnitude. Millions of Nigerian children remain out of school, while many of those enrolled are not acquiring the foundational literacy and numeracy skills essential for lifelong success,” she said.
To combat these challenges, Dr Garba unveiled the HOPE-EDU programme, a strategic $552 million initiative launched in partnership with the World Bank and the Global Partnership for Education.
“This bold, strategic, and multisectoral initiative is designed to address foundational learning gaps and reduce the number of out-of-school children through coordinated, state-led action,” she stated.
She further stressed that the education crisis is not merely academic, but one that translates into lost opportunities, deepening inequality, and stunted national growth.
“The time has come to change this narrative,” she said.
The two-day workshop provided a platform for state education officials to evaluate existing policies and identify scalable, evidence-based solutions. Particular focus was placed on educational technology and its role in improving learning outcomes.
Also speaking at the event, Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Ahmed, reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to education reform, citing President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda as the guiding framework for current policy efforts.
Roundtable discussions featured interactive sessions between state commissioners, State Universal Basic Education Boards (SUBEB) chairpersons, and international partners, all aimed at tackling persistent barriers and driving systemic reform.
Organisers expressed optimism that the event would lead to the creation of a permanent support hub to give states ongoing access to data, technical support, and successful reform models.
Stakeholders concluded that the meeting marked a pivotal turning point in the ongoing campaign to secure Nigeria’s educational future.
