The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) has urged state governments to make adequate budgetary provisions for a $552.18 million education programme targeting 29 million Nigerian children, warning that failure to meet funding obligations could jeopardise implementation.
The Human Capital Opportunities for Prosperity and Equity for Quality Basic Education for All (HOPE-EDU) programme also targets 500,000 teachers, more than 65,000 public primary schools, 10,000 non-formal learning centres and the construction of 13,000 classrooms nationwide.
UBEC Executive Secretary, Dr Aisha Garba, made the appeal at a two-day meeting with chairmen of State Universal Basic Education Boards (SUBEBs) in Abuja, according to The PUNCH report published today, October 15, 2026.
Garba said the programme became effective on February 27, 2026, and had entered its implementation phase. She stressed that state governments must demonstrate political will and financial commitment, particularly because several first-year deliverables depend on allocations in their 2027 budgets.
“A lot of the deliverables for Year 1 will require provisions in the states’ 2027 budget,” she said, according to The PUNCH.
In a separate report published on October 14, 2026, The Guardian also reported Garba’s appeal for states to support the programme and ensure that its objectives were achieved.
The World Bank approved $500 million in financing for HOPE-EDU on March 31, 2025, while the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) is providing an additional $52.18 million, bringing total programme financing to $552.18 million.
According to the World Bank’s April 2, 2025 announcement, the initiative is designed to improve foundational learning, expand access to basic education and strengthen education systems in participating states.
The programme operates through a results-based financing model, meaning disbursements are linked to the achievement of agreed targets and performance indicators. States must meet the relevant requirements and undergo verification before qualifying for corresponding disbursements.
The programme’s three result areas cover improving education quality, expanding access and strengthening key systems.
UBEC’s published programme figures allocate $262.239 million to improving the quality of basic education, $123.9 million to expanding access and $133.611 million to strengthening key systems. These allocations total approximately $519.75 million, rather than the full $552.18 million financing package.
The distinction matters because the total financing includes the World Bank’s $500 million contribution and the GPE’s $52.18 million commitment, while the stated result-area allocations represent a separate breakdown of programme-linked funding.
Participation also varies across the three areas. The quality component is open to 33 states, with potential expansion to all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, subject to applicable eligibility conditions. The access component targets 15 states with the highest populations of out-of-school children, while the systems component is open to all 36 states and the FCT.
The programme is intended to improve literacy and numeracy, strengthen teaching practices, expand learning opportunities for underserved communities and improve the management of basic education resources.
The planned 13,000 classrooms are expected to help address shortages of learning spaces, while the non-formal education component is designed to extend opportunities to children who are not reached by conventional schooling.
However, the programme’s targets will depend on effective implementation by federal and state authorities. States must incorporate relevant activities into their budgets, meet the required performance benchmarks and demonstrate progress before accessing the corresponding results-linked funding.
Garba urged SUBEB chairmen to take the programme’s implementation requirements to their respective state governments and secure the necessary support.
For Nigeria’s basic education sector, the immediate challenge is to translate the financing commitments into improved teaching, better learning facilities and wider access to education, particularly for children in rural, marginalised and out-of-school communities.
