UBEC, sultan foundation to tackle out-of-school children through community mobilisation

BIRNIN-KEBBI, NIGERIA – The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) has partnered with the Sultan Foundation for Peace and Development to mobilise traditional and religious institutions in addressing the challenge of out-of-school children and improving access to basic education across Nigeria.

The partnership, formalised through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), seeks to identify children who are out of school, facilitate their enrolment in formal education and strengthen community participation in ensuring regular attendance, retention and completion.

Under the agreement, both organisations will work with traditional rulers, religious leaders, parents and other community stakeholders to encourage families to prioritise education and support efforts to reduce the number of children excluded from the school system.

Speaking at the MoU signing ceremony, UBEC Executive Secretary, Dr Aisha Garba, represented by the Deputy Executive Secretary (Technical), Rasaq Akinyemi, said the collaboration would strengthen the connection between government education policies and grassroots mobilisation.

She said the administration recognised education as a critical foundation for national development and human capital advancement, adding that UBEC’s interventions were designed to translate the government’s education agenda into measurable improvements in the basic education sector.

Garba also acknowledged the policy direction of the Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, and the Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Said Ahmad, noting that their commitment to expanding inclusive access, strengthening institutional coordination and improving learning outcomes continued to guide the commission’s programmes.

UBEC Reports Progress in School Infrastructure

Highlighting the commission’s achievements, Garba disclosed that UBEC, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Education and State Universal Basic Education Boards (SUBEBs), had facilitated the construction of more than 4,900 classrooms across the country.

She said the interventions also included the renovation of existing school facilities and the provision of water, sanitation and hygiene facilities to improve the learning environment.

According to her, the infrastructure projects had directly benefited more than 2.3 million learners as of the end of 2025.

She added that the commission had intensified community-driven school improvement programmes and teacher professional development initiatives to strengthen school management and improve teaching and learning outcomes.

However, the executive secretary stressed that sustaining the gains recorded in the sector required stronger community ownership and the active involvement of traditional institutions, religious leaders, parents and other stakeholders.

She maintained that government investments and policy interventions would achieve greater impact when communities took responsibility for encouraging children to attend school and remain in the education system.

Traditional, Religious Leaders to Drive Grassroots Mobilisation

The MoU provides for the establishment of national, state and local coordinating committees to drive education advocacy and grassroots mobilisation.

Traditional and religious leaders are expected to play leading roles in encouraging families to prioritise children’s education, identifying children who are not attending school and facilitating their enrolment in nearby schools.

The partnership will also involve the production and distribution of advocacy materials in Hausa, Fulfulde and Yoruba languages to improve communication with communities and strengthen public awareness of the importance of basic education.

Other components include household-level identification of out-of-school children, community monitoring of school attendance, retention and completion, as well as the introduction of accountability mechanisms to recognise communities, schools and traditional leaders that record measurable progress.

Garba particularly highlighted the importance of traditional and religious institutions in promoting girls’ education and addressing cultural and social barriers that prevent children, especially those in underserved communities, from accessing formal education.

She said their influence within communities could help address concerns that discourage some families from enrolling their children in school, particularly girls, and encourage greater acceptance of formal education.

The executive secretary explained that the effectiveness of the partnership would be assessed through measurable improvements in enrolment, attendance and retention, better learning outcomes and a sustained reduction in the number of out-of-school children.

The proposed monitoring and recognition mechanisms are expected to encourage communities to take a more active role in ensuring that children not only gain access to schools but also remain in education until completion.

Kebbi Government Commends Foundation’s Interventions

In his remarks, the Kebbi State Deputy Governor, Senator Umar Abubakar Tafida, who represented Governor Nasir Idris, commended the Sultan Foundation for its contributions to health and social development.

He particularly acknowledged the foundation’s interventions supported by development partners, including the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, describing its work as important to improving the welfare of vulnerable groups.

Tafida said the Kebbi State Government appreciated the foundation’s commitment to expanding educational opportunities for disadvantaged children.

He described its support for vulnerable groups as consistent with the values of Islam and humanity, noting the importance of collective efforts in addressing challenges affecting children and communities.

The deputy governor also conveyed the goodwill of the Kebbi State Government to UBEC, the Sultan Foundation and the Nasara Foundation.

UBEC Reaffirms Commitment to Inclusive Basic Education

Garba reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to consolidating the Federal Government’s education reforms through sustained investments, stronger partnerships and improved collaboration with state governments and other stakeholders.

She said UBEC would continue to implement programmes aimed at ensuring that every Nigerian child had access to quality basic education, while building on existing achievements under the Renewed Hope Agenda.

The partnership with the Sultan Foundation represents an effort to complement government-led interventions with community-based advocacy and mobilisation, particularly in areas where social and cultural barriers continue to limit access to schooling.

By involving traditional and religious institutions in identifying out-of-school children, encouraging enrolment and monitoring school participation, the commission hopes to strengthen local ownership of basic education and improve the chances of children remaining in school.

The success of the agreement will ultimately depend on the effective coordination of the proposed committees, sustained engagement with communities and measurable progress in enrolment, attendance, retention and learning outcomes across the country.

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