President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the appointment of Senator Umaru Tanko Almakura as the Chairman of the Governing Council of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC).

UBEC, established under the Universal Basic Education (UBE) Act of 2004, is responsible for coordinating and ensuring free, compulsory, and universal basic education for Nigerian children at the primary and junior secondary school levels.

The commission operates under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Education.

The appointment was officially announced by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, during the launch of the AFD-supported ICT Development Project in 10 selected Nigerian universities.

Senator Almakura, a seasoned politician and businessman, represented Nasarawa South Senatorial District in the 9th National Assembly from 2019 to 2023. He also served as Governor of Nasarawa State from 2011 to 2019.

The new UBEC Chairman has recently received endorsements from some stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the North Central geopolitical zone for the vacant position of the party’s National Chairman, following the resignation of Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje on health grounds.