By Ayomide Otitoju
The Lagos State Government has reiterated its commitment to fulfilling its Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) funding obligations while highlighting the success of its flagship Project Zero Initiative, which has returned more than 32,400 out-of-school children to classrooms.
The pledge was made at the closing ceremony of the 27th Quarterly Meeting of UBEC Management with Executive Chairmen of State Universal Basic Education Boards (SUBEBs), hosted by Lagos SUBEB at Watercress Hotel, Ikeja, on Monday and Tuesday.
The meeting, themed “Bridging the Gap between Planning and Performance towards Achieving Quality Basic Education”, brought together education stakeholders from across Nigeria to review strategies for strengthening basic education delivery.
Speaking at the session, Chairman of Lagos SUBEB, Hakeem Shittu, stressed that Lagos has never defaulted on counterpart funding obligations required to access UBEC matching grants.
“There are conditions attached to the UBEC funds, but I can tell you that as of today, Lagos has paid up to the most recent requirement. This was confirmed by the Executive Secretary yesterday,” Shittu said, noting that the funds have been deployed to enhance infrastructure, teacher training, and learning outcomes.
He added that despite the financial strains of the COVID-19 pandemic and broader economic challenges, Lagos has consistently devised innovative models to meet its obligations, attributing the achievement to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s strong commitment to basic education.
Highlighting progress under Project Zero, Shittu explained that the initiative, which targets children from disadvantaged backgrounds, has successfully reintegrated thousands of pupils into the school system through an open enrollment policy unique to Lagos.
“Even if it is a day before the third-term examinations, if you bring your child, we will enroll them,” he emphasized.
The LASUBEB chairman also acknowledged the peculiar challenges Lagos faces as a magnet for migrants from across the country, which continues to place pressure on educational facilities.
“You know the challenge of Lagos: the uncontrollable influx of people. But our mantra is leave no child behind. Whatever the circumstances, we cannot afford to deny any child access to education. That’s the directive from the Governor, and we are fully committed to it,” he stated.
The meeting commended Lagos for its proactive approach in sustaining access to education and reducing the out-of-school population. UBEC also recognized states that have fully accessed their 2024 matching grants, urging others to follow Lagos’ example.
Key resolutions from the two-day gathering included the creation of a comprehensive monitoring and evaluation dashboard at both UBEC and SUBEB levels to ensure transparent tracking of education sector performance indicators.
