“No child should miss quality education due to circumstances” – UBEC

The UBEC boss stressed that girls who dropped out of school should not be considered lost causes, while young mothers seeking to resume their education should not be made to feel that their opportunity had passed.

She said the Alternative High School for Girls was established to provide girls and young women with opportunities to resume their education, acquire useful skills and pursue productive and fulfilling lives.

“Let this not simply be a place where girls attend classes. Let it be a place where hope is restored, confidence is built, and the future is renewed,” Garba said.

UBEC Details Scope of Intervention

According to Garba, the Agboju intervention is consistent with UBEC’s commitment to inclusive education and covers several components designed to improve the learning environment.

The intervention includes school infrastructure, academic facilities, furniture for pupils, teachers and school managers, information and communication technology equipment, laboratory and vocational equipment, water, sanitation and hygiene facilities, as well as environmental improvements.

“We believe that investment in education should be visible, not only in figures and reports, but in the classrooms where children learn, in the facilities they use and, most importantly, in the lives they can transform,” she said.

Garba said UBEC had formally handed over the rehabilitated facility to the Lagos State Government, urging the state to maintain the facilities and ensure the school continues to serve the girls for whom it was established.

Second School Nears Completion

The UBEC executive secretary disclosed that a second Alternative High School for Girls in Ikorodu was at an advanced stage of completion.

She said the facility would further expand opportunities for girls and young women seeking alternative pathways back into education.

Garba also announced that UBEC would provide the Agboju school with a bus and digital smart boards for its classrooms before the end of 2026.

She said children affected by conflict, displacement and other difficult circumstances still possess dreams, talents and potential that deserve to be supported.

According to her, the Federal Government, through the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative (NESRI), is pursuing reforms aimed at improving education quality, expanding access and ensuring that no Nigerian child is left behind.

‘Impact Must Go Beyond Infrastructure’

Garba stressed that the success of the Agboju intervention should not be measured solely by the appearance of the rehabilitated facility but by the impact it has on the lives of its beneficiaries.

“The true measure of our success will be the girl who walks through these gates and discovers that she still has a future. It will be the girl who acquires a skill, finds employment, starts a business or becomes a leader in her community. That is why this investment matters,” she said.

The intervention underscores the growing importance of flexible and inclusive education pathways in addressing school exclusion and ensuring that children and young people whose education has been disrupted have opportunities to return to learning and develop the skills needed to participate meaningfully in society.