States' UBEC Fund Access Failure Worsens Education Crisis

During a press conference in Abuja on Thursday, Charl Usi, the Country Director of Plan International Nigeria, reported that 27 of Nigeria's 36 states have failed to access Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) matching funds for 2024, despite a total allocation of N51.6 billion for basic education interventions in 2023. Only 16 states have utilized 41% of these funds.

Usi warned that inadequate funding and weak implementation of existing educational laws, coupled with insecurity, poverty, and insufficient school infrastructure, have worsened educational inequities, denying millions of children access to quality learning over the past two decades. He emphasized that the Nigerian Constitution does not explicitly guarantee the right to education, rendering the Universal Basic Education Act and the Child Rights Act unenforceable.

Plan International Nigeria urged the government to demonstrate genuine commitment to addressing these issues by increasing UBEC allocations, consolidating revenue, and amending penalties for non-compliance with educational funding obligations.