Pursuant to the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Ahmed Bola Tinubu, the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) has assured the Regional Development Commissions, especially the recently established ones, of cooperation and guidance in strengthening their respective educational programmes and structures.
The Deputy Executive Secretary (Services) UBEC, Mr. Tunde Segun Ajibulu, gave this assurance when he hosted the Minister of State for Regional Development, Alhaji Uba Maigari at UBEC’s Head Office in Abuja.
Ajibulu, who lauded President Tinubu for the establishment of the Regional Commissions, said that their creation would help bring development closer to the people and indeed further actualize the administration’s globally acclaimed bottom-up approach to development in all facets, across the country.
“As someone who has a deep understanding of the profound impact of education, I can clearly attest to the fact that the fastest way of combating and curbing multi-dimensional poverty, stemming urban-rural migration and even degrading incidences of insecurity, is by investing heavily in educating our people, especially those of them in the grassroots”.
“I cannot think of a better alternative to solid education, either formal or well-structured and certified skill acquisition programmes,” Mr. Ajibulu said, while adding that UBEC is very poised to work very closely with the Regional Development Commissions to meet the educational targets of the Tinubu administration in all the states of the federation.
Speaking earlier, the Minister stressed the need for deepened UBEC collaboration with all the Regional Development Commissions, on basic educational infrastructure, particularly in the North East.
He further said said that the Regional Commissions would be counting on UBEC for technical guidance, since most of them are relatively new.
Alhaji Maigari noted that some of the Regional Development Commissions have their masterplans that already prioritized education but that it was imperative they leveraged the support of UBEC.
The Minister also commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for appointing Mr. Ajibulu as the Deputy Executive Secretary (Services) of UBEC, saying that in making the appointment, the President “expertly placed a square peg in a square hole.” He wished Deputy Executive Secretary the very best and God’s guidance on the new assignment entrusted to him by the President.
Also at the meeting with the Minister were Mr. Razaq Olajuwon, the Deputy Executive Secretary (Technical) UBEC and Mr. Demola Oshodi, the Senior Special Assistant (SSA), Foreign Affairs and Protocol, to the President.
The Deputy Executive Secretary (Services) thanked the Honourable Minister for the visit and assured that the collaboration with the Development Commissions was not only expedient but inevitable.
Mr. Ajibulu said a follow–up meeting with the Commission’s Executive Secretary, Mrs. Aisha Garba, who was engaged in another official engagement at the time of the visit, will be promptly scheduled to consider the requests made by the Minister.
The Universal Basic Education (UBE) Programme was introduced in 1999 by the Federal Government as a reform programme aimed at providing greater access to, and ensuring quality of basic education throughout Nigeria.
The UBE Programme objectives include assisting States and Local Governments in Nigeria for the purposes of uniform and qualitative basic education throughout the country.
