The Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Dr. Hamid Bobboyi, has expressed satisfaction with the various basic education delivery initiatives of the federal government. UJI ABDULLAHI ILIYASU reports that the UBEC boss is committed to inclusive basic education across the states in the country.
The Kaduna roundtable
Recently the menace of out-of-school children with a bias for the girl-child has attracted the attention of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC). As part of its commitment to addressing and paving way for improved and inclusive basic education delivery across the states of the federation, it is set to set up Cluster Community Learning Centres for the Girls (CCLCGs).
UBEC boss, Dr. Bobboyi made this disclosure at a roundtable convened for the development of a framework for the proposed CCLCGs intervention.
The roundtable which came on the heels of renewed calls for strategic focus on the education of the girl-child, said to account for 60 per cent of all out-of-school children in Nigeria, is part of UBEC’s drive towards ensuring increased access to quality basic education for the girl-child, especially in northern states.
At the opening session of the roundtable, participants noted that the challenge of out-of-school children is a recurring decimal with the girl-child bearing the larger brunt of this challenge, thus the compelling need to institute remedial interventions for the girl-child as part of UBEC’s efforts at addressing the out-of-school menace. Participants emphasised that government and its allies as well as basic education stakeholders should take concrete steps towards addressing the issues which hinder girls and other vulnerable groups from accessing quality basic education.
They commended UBEC for the proposed CCLCG initiative and urged states to scale up strategies and approaches that focus on the acquisition of literacy, numeracy and importantly, the acquisition of relevant skills.
At the round table, UBEC director of special programmes, Alhaji Hassan D. Umar, in his welcome remarks, observed that the roundtable was being convened as part of measures geared towards addressing the menace of out-of-school children, which contributes to the poverty, hunger and disease in the communities.
While declaring the 2-day exercise open, Dr. Bobboyi, who was represented by UBEC director of Teacher Development, Mallam Unwaha Ismaila, emphasised the importance of developing a framework as an additional incentive towards tackling challenges associated with the out-of-school children. He pledged FG’s readiness to continue to implement programmes that will increase access and ensure equity, especially for the girl-child, and urged states to take ownership of existing UBE facilities set up by UBEC so that their girl-children are not denied access to quality basic education.
He expressed optimism that the various scholars and resource persons invited to the roundtable will develop a workable document that can be readily implemented at all levels towards improving girls` education in Nigeria.
Resource persons at the roundtable acknowledged the 2-day session as an outstanding milestone that will provide a blue-print for the creation of further educational opportunities for the girl-child. They maintained that the CCLCGs when effective, will further impact on nation building through the ingenuity of well groomed and educated female folk, prospective mothers and future home-makers.
It is a known fact that UBEC, related agencies and other critical education stakeholders are at the forefront of advocating for and implementing reforms that will address perceived challenges, broaden available opportunities and make way for inclusive mechanisms for educating the girl-child and other vulnerable groups in the country.
Notable female scholars led by Professor Binta Abdul of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) involved in gender advocacy, including Human Development Foundation of Nigeria (HDFN) and Federation of Muslim Women Association of Nigeria (FOMWAN), UBEC management staff, representatives of the traditional institution and a section of the press were among the participants at the event which held at Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) conference centre, Mogadishu layout, Kaduna, Kaduna state recently.
The roundtable is expected to, among others, articulate the concept of Cluster Community Learning Centres for Girls (CCLCGs) in the Nigerian context, come up with a framework and modalities for attaining success especially in areas where the challenge of out-of-school children is very endemic as well as make recommendations that would guarantee success of the proposed initiative in Nigeria.
Prioritising investment in education
Also in April, the executive secretary, speaking on the sidelines of a high-level advocacy visit to Osun state, noted with delight efforts made in the construction of model schools, integration of ICT into education delivery, improvement of staff welfare and access to UBEC/FGN matching grant, among others.
Dr. Bobboyi expressed optimism that the efforts already made would ensure that a robust and commendable legacy is left for quality UBE service delivery in the state.
He commended Osun state for its strive in giving priority to investment in education and challenged other states to borrow a leaf from the state.
Osun parleys UBEC officials
Osun state government and the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) have held discussions on means of improving basic education in the state. The series of meetings in this regard was prompted by Osun SUBEB in collaboration with the department of social mobilisation of UBEC which have been strategising on steps to be taken in ensuring that the state fully utilises available resources in improving its UBE delivery services.
As part of initiatives in this regard, a high-powered UBEC delegation led by the executive secretary, Dr. Bobboyi, held discussions with the then state governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola and the deputy governor, Mrs Grace Laoye Tomori.
The meeting centred on the need to improve collaborations between the state and UBEC in the development of education, especially the basic education sub-sector, in the state and the country in general.
Issues bordering on Osun’s desire for UBEC support in its vocational education initiatives as well as creative means of accessing the UBEC/FGN matching grants were discussed.
UBEC director of social mobilisation, Alhaji Bello Kagara, special assistant to UBEC executive secretary, Baba Sali Song, coordinator, Osun state UBEC office, Alhaji Jimoh Kamaldeen, were part of the UBEC delegation to the meeting.
Secretary to Osun State Government, Alhaji Moshood Adeoti, Osun state commissioner for education, Mr. Wasiu, Osun SUBEB chairman, Prince Felix Awofisayo and other high ranking state officials were also present at the meeting.
It is expected that the visit, apart from enhancing existing partnership between UBEC and the Osun state government, will further enrich service delivery.
SMASE Workshop
While in Osun, Dr Bobboyi monitored Strengthening Mathematics and Science Education (SMASE) workshop and inspected AUD Model School, Osogbo
The UBEC boss challenged teachers in Osun state to utilise the opportunity provided by the federal and state governments through the capacity building interventions to improve their skills.
He made the statement while monitoring the Strengthening Mathematics and Science Education (SMASE) project workshop held at AUD Model Elementary School, Osogbo. The workshop sought to improve teachers’ capacity in classroom delivery of Mathematics and other science-related subjects in the basic education sub-sector.
Dr. Bobboyi also used the occasion to inspect facilities at AUD Model School, venue of the meeting and commended the state government for the school initiative and expressed delight over the transformation being experienced in the state as a result of government’s priority attention to education.
