States Fail to Access N97bn UBEC Funds, Falana Warns

Femi Falana, a senior lawyer and human rights advocate, expressed concern over the neglect of basic education in Nigeria, as state governments have failed to access over N97 billion in Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) funds. According to a document obtained from UBEC, which was requested for compliance with the Compulsory Free Universal Basic Education Act, many states, including Imo, Ogun, Rivers, and Niger, have not accessed significant grant amounts from 2021 to 2025.

For instance, Imo State failed to access N946,646,664 in 2021 and N1,395,784,959 in 2023. Falana lamented that despite the provisions of the Child's Right Act and the Compulsory Free Universal Basic Education Act, which guarantee free education for children at primary and junior secondary levels, state governments have not met the required conditions to access these funds.

He noted that approximately 20 million children are out of school in Nigeria, the highest figure globally, and emphasized the detrimental impact of this neglect on disadvantaged populations.