Bill to increase UBEC funding from 2% to 4% passes second reading

The Bill to increase the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) Act t funding from the consolidated revenue from 2% to 4% has passed the second reading in the House Representatives.

Chairman House Committee on Basic Education and Services, Honourable Bako Useni Daid, disclosed this during the committee’s oversight function to the Digital Resource Center built by UBEC in Abuja, on Thursday.

The center was built for the training of teachers on digital education in Nigeria.

Daid said the 10th Assembly saw the need to increase financial resources to the Basic education sub-sector for set objectives to be further met, hence Honourable Muktar Shagaya sponsored the amendment bill to increase revenue accruing to UBEC from 2% to 4%.

“The amendment bill, which passed the second reading Yesterday (Wednesday) when concluded will make UBEC stronger.”

“Since UBEC was established in 2024 to date, a lot has been achieved. However, the House felt that if UBEC is motivated with more funding, it will go a long way in achieving more of what it has achieved.”

“It was on this basis that one of us, Honourable Mukhtar Shagaya proposed an amendment to the UBEC Act to increase funding to UBEC from 2% to 4%/from the consolidated revenue fund.”

He said the committee is happy with the digital resource center built by the UBEC, as it has always been the desire of the committee to ensure that newer dimensions are introduced to the basic education sector in Nigeria.

“It is going to bring a new approach to basic education in Nigeria. It is going to improve teachers’ training and content,” he said

“We have also assured the center of our collaboration and support through budget allocations and oversight functions to make sure that whatever funds that are provided are used for the betterment of Nigerians.”

“We will continue to monitor the kind of training that is being given to our teachers and other resource persons because it is a center for Nigeria to develop its education sector.”

Speaking, the Executive Secretary of UBEC, Dr Hameed Bobboyi, said the center is an effort to move digital education in Nigeria to the next level.

“It is fruitful to bring the Honourable members to come and see what UBEC is doing in the area of digital education in the Basic education sub-sector of the country.

“The facility will ensure that our teachers are trained on the new pedagogy. We have brought in many teachers, school administrators, and quality assurance officers” he said.

He said the digital resource center will coordinate the Smart schools spread across the country to aid digital learning in the nation adding that it will also be used to reshape those in the senior/management cadre of the basic education sub-sector.

On his part, the National Coordinator of the Digital Resource Centre, Professor Bashir Galandanci, said the Digital Resource Center is part of the effort of the commission to transform the agency into a digital one.