UBEC verifies 518 schools ahead of N5.18bn intervention

The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) is preparing to verify 518 schools across Nigeria as a precursor to implementing its 2025 School-Based Management Committee-School Improvement Programme. This verification exercise, scheduled from the end of June into early July, is crucial for confirming school existence and assessing infrastructure needs before disbursing intervention funds.

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We are about to start the 2025 intervention. It is a bit late, but we are going to begin verification at the end of this month towards early July.

In April, UBEC announced the 2025 programme with a total allocation of N5.18 billion designated for 518 schools nationwide, averaging 14 schools per state and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Mrs. Patricia Oche, Head of Community Empowerment and Development in UBEC’s Social Mobilisation Department, stated during a training session in Lagos that the verification is essential for transparency and accountability.

Oche explained that while states initially nominated 18 schools, only 14 per state and the FCT will qualify based on UBEC guidelines. "We are about to start the 2025 intervention. It is a bit late, but we are going to begin verification at the end of this month towards early July," she said. The process involves physical inspection to confirm school existence and the reported deficiencies, preventing the submission of non-existent schools or dubious claims.

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People may submit names of schools that do not exist, so we have to monitor and physically inspect them to confirm that the schools exist and that the deficiencies reported are actually there.

Beneficiary communities will receive the intervention funds in two tranches: 75 percent upfront and the remaining 25 percent after monitoring to ensure proper utilization. UBEC reduced the number of beneficiary schools from 32 per state in previous years to 14 in 2025, a move aimed at improving the quality and impact of projects. "We want quality, not quantity," Oche emphasized, noting that the increased funding per school allows for more meaningful projects. The intervention will support community-identified needs such as classrooms, sanitation facilities, furniture, and access infrastructure.

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We want quality, not quantity. The Executive Secretary decided that we should reduce the number of schools and increase the funding so that beneficiaries can execute meaningful projects.