- Tunji Alausa Defends UBEC Boss Aisha Garba Amid Allegations
- Alausa described Garba as a globally respected education expert
- Under her watch, UBEC has supplied 353625 units of school furnitures
The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, has dismissed allegations against the Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Aisha Garba, describing them as false, malicious and the product of a coordinated smear campaign.
Reacting to media reports attributed to a little-known group calling itself the Education Rights Activists Coalition, Eko Hot Blog reports that Alausa said the claims of administrative misconduct and disregard for due process are completely unfounded and politically motivated.
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“It is disheartening that subversive elements, clearly threatened by Aisha Garba’s reform driven leadership, have resorted to sponsoring libellous content in the media to derail the progress being made under the Renewed Hope Agenda,” Alausa said in a statement.
He described Garba as a globally respected education expert with over 24 years of experience, including 15 years at the World Bank, who has brought professionalism, integrity and global best practices to UBEC.
Under her watch, he noted, the Commission has been repositioned into a transparent, efficient and high impact institution focused on access, equity and systemic reform.
Alausa outlined several achievements under Garba’s leadership, including the construction of 4951 new classrooms, renovation of 3070 others and the establishment of early childhood care centres nationwide.
UBEC has also supplied 353625 units of school furniture and distributed more than five million textbooks.
To improve teacher capacity, over 147600 educators have been trained in modern teaching methods, while nearly 978800 have benefited from the country’s largest teacher professional development programme.
Garba, in collaboration with the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC), also spearheaded a curriculum overhaul that introduced digital literacy, entrepreneurship and critical thinking into basic education.
Alausa further highlighted reforms introduced by Garba in the implementation of the Basic Education Action Plan and the Matching Grant Formula, which have enhanced accountability and results based planning. In 2024 alone, 28 states and the FCT have accessed 78.6 billion naira out of the 120 billion naira allocated.
UBEC has also strengthened ties with key development partners including the World Bank, UNICEF, KOICA, the Islamic Development Bank and the FCDO. Through the School Based Management Committee School Improvement Programme, over 15000 community driven projects have been executed nationwide.
The Minister stressed that no financial infractions have been recorded under Garba’s leadership due to the strong governance and internal control mechanisms she has put in place.
“The public is advised to disregard these fabrications in their entirety. They are part of a desperate attempt to undermine the transformation currently reshaping the basic education sector,” Alausa said.
Reaffirming the Ministry’s full confidence in Garba, Alausa added, “We stand firmly with her as she continues to deliver inclusive, quality and safe education to Nigerian children and position our basic education system for global competitiveness.”
