AdvoKC urges Tinubu to assent to 5% UBEC funding Bill

“We are glad the Bill has already been transmitted, and we now urge Mr President to assent to it in good time for the increased allocation to be reflected in the 2027 budget,” he added.

The proposed amendment comes amid continuing concerns over challenges confronting basic education in Nigeria, including out-of-school children, inadequate infrastructure and shortages of essential learning resources in public schools.

Under the current Universal Basic Education framework, the Federal Government makes a statutory contribution to UBEC from the Consolidated Revenue Fund. The funds are subsequently deployed to support basic education programmes and interventions across the states.

If assented to, the amendment would significantly increase the federal contribution available for such interventions.

AdvoKC noted that the five per cent figure approved in the harmonised Bill also exceeds the four per cent commitment contained in the separate legislative agendas of the Senate and House of Representatives.

The foundation said it had monitored the progress of the proposal through its Legislative Agenda Meter, an initiative designed to track commitments made by lawmakers and assess their movement through the legislative process.

It said the development also highlighted the importance of following proposed legislation beyond public announcements and parliamentary approval until the required constitutional steps are completed.

AdvoKC further noted that the transmission of an approved Bill to the President is a statutory responsibility of the Clerk to the National Assembly.

It said the Clerk is responsible under the Acts Authentication Act for authenticating Bills passed by the National Assembly and forwarding them to the President for assent.

With the Bill now before the Presidency, the foundation said its monitoring would focus on the next stage of the process, including whether the proposed five per cent UBEC allocation is captured in the 2027 Appropriation Bill.

“The Foundation will continue to monitor the Bill through to presidential assent,” it said, adding that it would also follow the proposed increase through the 2027 budget process.

The Bill has therefore completed the legislative stage and is now awaiting presidential assent before the proposed five per cent allocation can become law.