The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) has urged state governments to make adequate budgetary provisions for 2027 to access funding under a $552.18m World Bank-backed programme targeting 29 million children across Nigeria.
The Human Capital Opportunities for Prosperity and Equity in Education (HOPE-EDU) programme aims to improve basic education through investments targeting 500,000 teachers, 65,000 public schools, 10,000 non-formal learning centres and the construction of 13,000 classrooms.
UBEC Executive Secretary, Aisha Garba, made the call at a two-day meeting with chairmen of State Universal Basic Education Boards in Abuja, where she stressed that states’ financial commitment would be crucial to the programme’s success.
Garba said HOPE-EDU became effective on February 27, 2026, and had entered its implementation phase. She explained that funding would be tied to the achievement of agreed targets and performance indicators.
“A lot of the deliverables for Year 1 will require provisions in the states’ 2027 budget,” she said, urging SUBEB chairmen to secure the support of their respective state governments.
According to her, the programme is designed to improve learning outcomes, expand equitable access to basic education and strengthen governance and accountability in the sector.
Of the programme’s funding allocation, $262.239m is earmarked for improving education quality, $123.9m for expanding access and $133.611m for strengthening key systems.
The first component is open to 33 states, with the possibility of extending participation to all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, subject to participation in the HOPE-GOV operations. The access component targets 15 states with the highest populations of out-of-school children that meet other eligibility requirements, while the systems component is open to all states and the FCT.
Garba said the programme would focus on improving teaching quality, supplying essential learning materials and raising pupils’ achievement, particularly in literacy and numeracy through the Structured Pedagogy Programme.
She added that effective implementation would require coordination among state ministries of education, SUBEBs, local education authorities, schools and School-Based Management Committees.
The UBEC chief said the programme, introduced under President Bola Tinubu’s administration, was intended to give children, particularly those in rural and marginalised communities and those currently out of school, better access to quality education.
She urged state board chairmen to take ownership of the initiative and ensure their states met the agreed performance indicators required for funding.
“The success of HOPE-EDU rests on your shoulders. Let us work together to ensure that no state is left behind,” she said.
Earlier, the programme’s manager, Olumayowa Aleshin, presented an overview of its funding structure, implementation targets and key milestones.
Under the results-based financing arrangement, participating states must meet specified targets and verification requirements before they can receive the corresponding disbursements.
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