The federal government has approved an upward review of statutory allocation of the Universal Basic Education matching grants accessible by each state government for infrastructural projects to N3, 554,642,584.46.
Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Dr. Hamid Bobboyi disclosed this during a 5-day financial training for SUBEB chairmen and board secretaries in Ibadan, the Oyo State’s capital on Thursday.
Dr. Bobboyi disclosed that the increased matching grants to the states from 2% of consolidated revenue fund allotted to support basic education in Nigeria is for projects implementation.
He said the approval followed the passage of the 2024 Appropriation Bill and the assent of the Bill into law.
“The 2024 Federal Government Statutory Allocation of the UBE Matching Grant to each State is N3,554,642,584.46 (Three Billion Five Hundred and Fifty-Four Million Six Hundred and Forty-Two Thousand Five Hundred and Eighty- Four Naira Forty-Six Kobo Only).
“The grant is in compliance with Section 11 (2) of the UBE Act, 2004, while State governments are requested to provide an equivalent amount of N3,554,642,584.46 as counterpart fund in order to execute the 1st to 4th Quarters, 2024 UBE intervention projects,” he said.
Bobboyi who said the states were previously getting about N1.3 billion per year as matching grants, stressed that the grant had been jacked up to N3.3 billion.
He urged state governments who were yet to access the 2023 matching grant with the commission amounting to N1,395,784,959.14 as at 1 July, 2024, to do so.
“This is quite an impressive amount, isn’t it? You know the amount that we had before. Of course, we also have to take into account that inflation has affected the grants.
“But at the same time, I think it’s very encouraging to see that the amount that is available is decent enough for States, because when a state brings in another N3.3 billion, it goes home with about 6.6 billion. Isn’t it? In that regard, it’s quite a reasonable amount if it can be applied well”, he said.
Citing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Executive Secretary explained that about 46 million children were in schools across the country, adding that basic education ends at the secondary school level.
He, however, acknowledged the enormous challenges before the commission and all state SUBEBs, urging them to work as a team to mop up the remaining out-of-school children in their individual states.
Bobboyi noted that the quarterly meetings of SUBEB chairmen and secretaries allow them to look into challenges and proffer solutions in the basic education sub-sector.
The meeting was attended by chairmen of State Universal Basic Education Boards (SUBEB), permanent secretaries, and their executive secretaries in the country.