Chidimma Uchegbu -Abuja
The Federal Ministry of Education has frowned at what it described as a sponsored smear campaign at the Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission, Aisha Garba.
A statement by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, said recent media reports accusing Garba of administrative misconduct and disregard for the rule of law were baseless, malicious, and politically motivated.
The reports, allegedly circulated by an unknown group operating under the name “Education Rights Activists Coalition (ERAC),” were dismissed as falsehoods aimed at undermining ongoing reforms in the basic education sector.
“It is dangerous to allow such misinformation to take root in the public space,” Alausa said.
According to the minister, “Aisha Garba is an internationally recognised education expert with over 24 years of experience, including 15 years at the World Bank. Her leadership at UBEC is marked by integrity, competence, and alignment with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.”
The statement further stated that under Garba’s leadership, UBEC has recorded notable achievements including the construction of 4,951 classrooms, renovation of 3,070 others, and the establishment of several Early Childhood Care Development and Education (ECCDE) centres across the country.
The commission also distributed over five million textbooks, provided 353,625 units of school furniture, and trained more than 147,600 educators in inclusive teaching methods.
A major highlight of Garba’s tenure, according to the ministry, is the implementation of Nigeria’s largest-ever Teacher Professional Development initiative, which reached nearly 978,800 teachers. In partnership with the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC), UBEC has also initiated a curriculum overhaul to incorporate digital literacy, entrepreneurship, and critical thinking at the basic education level.
The ministry said Garba’s reforms in the Basic Education Action Plan (BEAP) and Matching Grant Formula led to improved access to Universal Basic Education (UBE) funds.
As of mid-2024, 28 states and the Federal Capital Territory had drawn ₦78.6 billion out of the ₦120 billion allocated for the year.
She was also credited with strengthening ties with key development partners, including the World Bank, UNICEF, KOICA, the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), and the FCDO. Through these partnerships, over 15,000 community-driven projects have been implemented via the School-Based Management Committee–School Improvement Programme (SBMC–SIP).
The ministry insisted that no financial breaches or infractions had been recorded under Garba’s watch, adding that she had built strong governance and fiduciary control systems within the commission.
“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,” Alausa said.
He urged the public to disregard the allegations and reaffirmed the ministry’s confidence in Garba’s continued leadership.
“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,” the minister said.
