The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) today, April 22, 2026, concluded the second and final session of its 29th Quarterly Meeting with the Executive Chairmen of State Universal Basic Education Boards (SUBEBs), solidifying a massive shift toward a fully digitized education management system.
Building on yesterday’s landmark announcement of over N100 billion in unlocked matching grants, today’s deliberations focused on the operational rollout of the Basic Education Action Plan (BEAP) and the official adoption of a new digital funding formula.
From funding to system enabling, the Executive Secretary of UBEC, Dr. Aisha Garba, closed the meeting by emphasizing that the commission has transitioned from being a mere funding institution to a system enabler.
Addressing the 36 state chairmen in Abuja, she detailed how the newly digitized BEAP will replace traditional, manual planning with a real-time system.
“As we move into the second half of 2026, every state action plan must be submitted and processed through our digital portal,” Dr. Garba stated. “This ensures faster approvals, increased transparency, and—most importantly—data-driven precision in how we address the needs of the Nigerian child.”
With regard to the 25% Digital Mandate,a critical outcome of today’s session was the ratification of the Revised Matching Grant Guidelines, under which states are now required to allocate 25% of their intervention funds specifically toward ICT Infrastructure – deployment of digital learning tools in public schools; teacher training – upskilling educators in digital literacy and inclusive pedagogy; education management information systems (EMIS) – strengthening data collection at the local level.
This move is designed to sustain the momentum that has already seen 244,000 teachers trained and 8.7 million learners impacted by improved conditions over the past year.
With regard to strengthening accountability, state chairmen also participated in peer-learning workshops focused on the National Education Data Infrastructure (NEDI) and the Basic Education Management Information System (BEMIS).
These tools will allow both federal and state authorities to track school-level outcomes, from pupil enrollment to infrastructure maintenance, in real-time.
Stakeholders, including representatives from the World Bank and UNICEF, lauded the commission’s resolve, noting that the integration of technology is not just about modernization but a vital strategy for addressing Nigeria’s high number of out-of-school children, especially in hard-to-reach areas.
As the meeting wrapped up, the “Abuja Declaration” saw all 36 SUBEB chairmen pledge to enforce minimum standards across their respective states.
The focus for the remainder of the year will be ensuring the remaining six states that have yet to draw down their grants meet the necessary compliance requirements to access their shares of the N100 billion fund.
The 29th quarterly meeting concluded as a defining moment in the 2025–2031 Strategic Blueprint, setting a clear path toward a more transparent, efficient, and technologically advanced basic education sector in Nigeria.
