No child should be denied quality education, says UBEC

The Universal Basic Education Commission has said no child should be denied access to quality education because of difficult circumstances, stressing that every Nigerian child deserves an opportunity to learn, develop their abilities and fulfil their potential.

The Executive Secretary of UBEC, Dr Aisha Garba, stated this during the formal commissioning of the rehabilitated Alternative High School for Girls, Agboju, Lagos State, according to a statement by Garba on Saturday.

The intervention comes against the backdrop of persistent challenges affecting access to basic and secondary education in Nigeria, including school dropout, poverty, displacement and other social and economic circumstances that interrupt children’s schooling.

The establishment of alternative learning pathways is particularly important for girls and young women who leave school because of pregnancy, early marriage, family responsibilities or other circumstances, as returning to conventional schools can be difficult.

Garba said the rehabilitation of the Agboju school, supported by UBEC through its Universal Basic Education intervention, was therefore more than an infrastructure project, describing it as an opportunity for girls and young women whose education had been interrupted to return to learning.

She said, “A girl whose circumstances prevented her from completing her education should be given another opportunity. Every child deserves an alternative pathway to acquire the education they deserve to succeed in life.”

According to her, girls who dropped out of school should not be regarded as lost causes, while young mothers seeking to return to education should not be made to feel that their opportunity had passed.

She said the Alternative High School for Girls was established to provide girls and young women with opportunities to return to learning, acquire useful skills and pursue productive and fulfilling lives.

“Let this not simply be a place where girls attend classes. Let it be a place where hope is restored, confidence is built and the future is renewed,” Garba said.

The UBEC boss said children affected by conflict, displacement or difficult circumstances still had dreams, talents and potential and deserved every opportunity to succeed.

She said the Federal Government, through the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative, was pursuing reforms aimed at improving the quality of education, expanding access and ensuring that no Nigerian child was left behind.

The Federal Government has in recent years placed greater emphasis on improving access, learning outcomes and retention as part of efforts to address challenges in Nigeria’s education system. The interventions have included investment in school infrastructure, learning facilities, teacher development and programmes targeted at vulnerable and out-of-school children.

Garba said the Agboju intervention was consistent with UBEC’s commitment to inclusive education, adding that it covered school infrastructure, academic facilities, furniture for pupils, teachers and school managers, information and communication technology equipment, laboratory and vocational equipment, water, sanitation and hygiene facilities, and environmental improvements.

“We believe that investment in education should be visible, not only in figures and reports, but in the classrooms where children learn, in the facilities they use and, most importantly, in the lives they are able to transform,” she said.

Garba said UBEC had formally handed over the rehabilitated facility to the Lagos State Government, urging the state to sustain the investment, maintain the facilities and ensure that the school continued to serve the girls for whom it was established.

She disclosed that the second Alternative High School for Girls in Ikorodu was at an advanced stage of completion, saying it would further expand opportunities for girls and young women seeking alternative pathways back into education.

The executive secretary also announced that UBEC would, before the end of 2026, provide the school with a bus and digital smart boards for its classrooms.

However, Garba stressed that the success of the intervention should not be measured by the beauty of the rehabilitated school but by its impact on the lives of the girls.

“The true measure of our success will be the girl who walks through these gates and discovers that she still has a future. It will be the girl who acquires a skill, finds employment, starts a business or becomes a leader in her community. That is why this investment matters,” she said.

Garba also commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for prioritising education and human capital development under the Renewed Hope Agenda.

She praised the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, for her commitment to the education and empowerment of girls and young women.

The First Lady was represented at the occasion by the wife of the Vice President, Hajiya Nana Shettima.

Garba urged the Agboju community to take ownership of the school by protecting and maintaining the facilities and supporting the girls attending the institution.