RismadarVoice Reporters
October 14, 2026
The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) has announced implementation plans for a $552.18 million World Bank-supported education programme targeting 29 million Nigerian children, 500,000 teachers and 65,000 public schools nationwide.
The initiative, known as the Human Capital Opportunities for Prosperity and Equity in Education (HOPE-EDU), also seeks to support 10,000 non-formal learning centres and facilitate the construction of 13,000 classrooms.
However, the commission has warned that states could lose access to programme funding if they fail to make adequate budgetary provisions or satisfy the required implementation conditions.
UBEC Executive Secretary, Dr Aisha Garba, issued the warning during a two-day implementation readiness meeting with chairmen of State Universal Basic Education Boards (SUBEBs) in Abuja.
Garba explained that the programme became effective on February 27, 2026, and had entered its implementation phase, requiring participating states to incorporate relevant activities and financial commitments into their 2027 budgets.
She said several funding conditions were tied to specific performance indicators, including budgetary allocations, programme implementation and independently verified results.
According to her, states that fail to meet the agreed requirements risk being unable to access the corresponding disbursements.
The UBEC chief urged SUBEB chairmen to brief their respective state governments, obtain the necessary approvals and ensure that funds required for implementation are provided within the stipulated timelines.
The programme is designed to address persistent challenges in Nigeria’s basic education system, particularly poor learning outcomes, inadequate infrastructure, unequal access to schooling and weaknesses in education management.
Under the funding arrangement presented by UBEC, $262.239 million is allocated to improving education quality, $123.9 million to expanding access and $133.611 million to strengthening education systems.
These three allocations total $519.75 million, with the remaining portion of the announced $552.18 million programme envelope not specified in the figures presented.
The education quality component will focus on teacher development, instructional materials and improved literacy and numeracy outcomes.
It will also support a Structured Pedagogy Programme intended to improve classroom instruction and strengthen foundational learning among primary school pupils.
The access component will prioritise states facing significant challenges with out-of-school children, while the systems component will focus on education planning, monitoring, accountability and institutional capacity.
Garba explained that the three components have different eligibility requirements.
The education quality component is initially open to 33 states, with possible expansion to all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, subject to participation requirements linked to the HOPE-GOV programme.
The access component targets 15 states with the highest populations of out-of-school children, provided they satisfy additional eligibility conditions.
The systems-strengthening component is open to all 36 states and the FCT.
Garba emphasised that HOPE-EDU operates through a results-based financing framework, meaning participating states must achieve agreed performance targets and satisfy verification requirements before receiving applicable funds.
She said effective implementation would require cooperation among state ministries of education, SUBEBs, Local Education Authorities, school administrators and School-Based Management Committees.
The commission also stressed the importance of reaching children in rural communities, disadvantaged households and other underserved populations.
Garba urged state education authorities to treat the programme as a priority and ensure that funding commitments translate into measurable improvements in schools.
She acknowledged the contributions of the Federal Ministry of Education, the World Bank and technical partners supporting the initiative.
Earlier, the programme manager, Olumayowa Aleshin, presented its funding structure, implementation arrangements, targets and milestones to participating officials.
The commission maintained that the success of HOPE-EDU would depend on timely budgetary provisions, effective coordination, transparent implementation and the ability of participating states to meet agreed performance benchmarks.
Although the programme targets millions of children and thousands of educational institutions, the stated figures represent planned outcomes rather than achievements already recorded.
UBEC said participating states must demonstrate measurable progress before accessing funds tied to the programme’s results-based financing arrangements.
