The Federal Government has recorded a significant milestone in the utilization of Universal Basic Education (UBE) Matching Grants, with 27 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) accessing ₦78.6 billion from the ₦121 billion that remained unutilized as of January 2025.

This represents a 65% increase in access to UBE funds, following targeted reforms introduced under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

The achievement is attributed to the successful implementation of a revised Matching Grant formula, outlined in the UBEC 2025–2030 Strategic Blueprint.

The blueprint, developed through a collaborative effort involving the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), State Universal Basic Education Boards (SUBEBs), and the Federal Ministry of Education, aims to improve the efficiency and impact of basic education funding. The new formula emphasizes equity, accountability, and quality service delivery, ensuring that resources align with national education goals and local priorities.

To further boost fund utilization, the Ministry of Education and UBEC embarked on a focused advocacy campaign, engaging state governors with performance feedback and reform benchmarks.

These efforts strengthened states’ commitments to their counterpart funding obligations and triggered faster fund drawdowns for key investments in infrastructure, teacher development, and learning outcomes.

Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, CON, hailed the development as a reflection of deliberate reform efforts and improved federal-state collaboration.

“This progress is a result of deliberate reforms and stronger federal-state collaboration. We commend proactive states and urge others to act,”

he said.

Dr. Alausa reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to ensuring UBE funds are efficiently deployed to drive improvements across the basic education sector.

The development is seen as a major boost for the Renewed Hope Agenda’s commitment to impactful and accountable governance, especially in the education sector.