By Francesca Hangeior.

The Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission, Hamid Bobboyi, has revealed that 34 states and the Federal Capital Territory are yet to access the 2024 Universal Basic Education matching grant.

Bobboyi disclosed this on Monday in Abuja during the Senate Committee on Education’s (Basic and Secondary) oversight visit to the commission.

He noted that only Katsina and Kaduna states had accessed their first and second quarters of the 2024 matching grant.

Providing details of matching grants accessed between 2020 and 2024, Bobboyi said unaccessed UBE grants remain a significant challenge for basic and junior secondary education.

“For the 2020 UBE matching grant, 34 states and the FCT have accessed it, while two states—Abia and Ogun—have not. For 2021, 33 states and the FCT have accessed it, leaving Abia, Imo, and Ogun yet to do so.

“In 2022, 29 states and the FCT accessed the grants, with Abia, Adamawa, Anambra, Ebonyi, Imo, Ogun, and Oyo yet to access theirs. For 2023, 25 states accessed the grants for the first to fourth quarters,” he said.

Bobboyi further stated that N263.04 billion and N103.29 billion, representing 2 per cent of the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF), were allocated to the commission under the 2024 and 2023 Appropriation Acts, respectively.

He added that N103.29 billion was fully released for 2023, while N219.20 billion had been released for 2024, representing 83.33 per cent of the year’s allocation.

Ranking state performances in accessing the UBE grants by geopolitical zones as of October 31, Bobboyi commended the North West zone for achieving 100 per cent.

The South-South zone followed with 97.92 per cent, North Central with 97.76 per cent, North East with 97.57 per cent, South West with 92.28 per cent, and South East with 85.37 per cent.

He identified key challenges facing the commission, including a lack of political will and commitment by some state governments, low budgetary allocations to basic education at state and local government levels, and poor teacher quality.

Bobboyi added, “Non-compliance with the Federal Government’s directive on teaching history in basic schools and the high number of out-of-school children are also major issues.”

Members of the Senate Committee on Education expressed concerns over the challenges. Senator Victor Umeh lamented the high number of out-of-school children in northern states despite higher allocations.

Senator Sunday Katung called for the reintroduction of history into the basic education curriculum, citing its importance for the younger generation.

Earlier, the committee chairman, Senator Lawal Usman, commended UBEC’s efforts but urged the commission to implement the committee’s recommendations and improve its operational framework.

By Ojomah Austin.

The proposed meeting between the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities initially scheduled for Monday (today), has been postponed.

Although no reason was given for the postponement, the meeting and us now expected to take place on Wednesday, August 28.

According to Channels Television on Monday, the ASUU President, Emmanuel Osodeke, confirmed that the meeting which was previously announced by the Minister of Education on Friday will no longer hold.

Public university lecturers, following resolutions reached at the union’s national executive council meeting held at the University of Ibadan on August 19, 2024, threatened to go on a nationwide strike over the Federal Government’s failure to honour the 2009 renegotiated agreement.

ASUU’s demands include improvements in welfare, university funding, and halting the proliferation of universities across the country.

By Francesca Hangeior.

The Registrar of Wigwe University, Ms. Ulonna Inyama, has died under mysterious circumstances in Abuja, sparking concerns about medical negligence and hospital safety.

According to a family source, Ms. Inyama died due to complications from fibroid surgery and a wrong blood transfusion.

The source revealed that she was initially admitted to a hospital in Abuja for fibroid treatment but suffered a fatal reaction after receiving the wrong blood type.

“She died of loss of blood due to fibroid complications under mysterious circumstances. We were told that wrong blood transfusion led to her death.

“When her condition worsened due to complications, she was referred to another hospital, where she passed on,” the source told Vanguard on Monday in Abuja.

The incident has raised questions about the quality of medical care and safety protocols in Nigerian hospitals. The family has demanded an investigation into the circumstances surrounding Ms. Inyama’s death.

Ms. Inyama’s death comes just months after the tragic loss of Wigwe University’s founder, Herbert Wigwe, who died in a helicopter crash in California, USA, along with his wife and son.

The university community is still reeling from the loss of its founder and now faces another devastating blow with the loss of its Registrar.