The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, has described a recent media report targeting the Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Dr. Aisha Garba, as “baseless and malicious,” urging the public to disregard it entirely.
The report in question, allegedly sponsored by a little-known group under the name Education Rights Activists Coalition (ERAC), accused the UBEC chief of administrative misconduct and disregard for the rule of law. However, the minister, in a personally signed statement, dismissed the claims as a deliberate smear campaign by unnamed individuals seeking to derail ongoing reforms in the education sector.
“It is disheartening that some subversive forces, threatened by Aisha Garba’s bold and transparent leadership, have resorted to sponsoring a smear campaign in an attempt to derail the gains of the Renewed Hope Agenda in the education sector. Their efforts are futile and will not succeed,” Dr. Alausa stated.
According to the statement, Dr. Garba—an internationally respected education expert with over 24 years of experience, including 15 years at the World Bank—has brought integrity, competence, and global best practices to UBEC since her appointment. Her leadership, the minister emphasized, is aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and has been pivotal in transforming the commission into a high-impact, transparent, and reform-driven institution.
Under her stewardship, UBEC has reportedly made major strides in expanding access to quality basic education across Nigeria. Notable achievements include the construction of 4,951 new classrooms, renovation of 3,070 existing ones, establishment of numerous Early Childhood Care Development and Education (ECCDE) centres, and the distribution of over 5 million textbooks and 353,625 units of school furniture.
In addition, more than 147,600 teachers have been trained in modern pedagogical approaches, while nearly 978,800 educators have benefited from Nigeria’s largest-ever Teacher Professional Development initiative. UBEC, in collaboration with the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC), also began a major curriculum overhaul to incorporate digital literacy, entrepreneurship, and critical thinking into basic education.
Dr. Garba’s tenure has also seen reforms in the use of the Basic Education Action Plan (BEAP) and the Matching Grant Formula, which have enhanced accountability and results-based planning. So far, 28 states and the Federal Capital Territory have accessed ₦78.6 billion out of the ₦120 billion allocated for 2024. Her administration has also implemented over 15,000 community-led school improvement projects under the School-Based Management Committee–School Improvement Programme (SBMC–SIP).
The minister concluded the statement with a resounding endorsement of Dr. Garba’s performance and leadership.
“On behalf of the Federal Ministry of Education, I reaffirm our full confidence in Aisha Garba and her continued leadership at UBEC. We stand firmly with her as she sustains her transformational efforts to deliver quality, safe, and inclusive basic education to Nigerian children and reposition our education system for global competitiveness,” he said.
