The Federal Government through the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), has released the sum of N6,714,084,395.55 to Nasarawa State government as part of its basic education support fund for the sustainability of smart school in the state to address the menace of out-of-school-children across the 13 local government areas of the state.

Daily Trust reports that the newly established smart school, which was established on May 24, 2024 was aimed at enhancing multimedia education environments and strengthening educational capabilities of public primary and junior secondary schools across Nigeria.

The Executive Secretary of UBEC, Aisha Garba disclosed this shortly after she inspected UBEC smart school in Lafia and modified second chance school in Akwanga local government areas of Nasarawa state on Wednesday.

She said: “I am in Nasarawa state to meet with the executive governor of Nasarawa state, Abdullahi Sule to priorities education and to see how we can infuse the curriculum of formal learning, especially in the terms of core subjects like English, Mathematics into the Quranic curriculum by working with the relevant Malams, Ulamas in all communities across Nasarawa state.”

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According to her, the choice of Nasarawa state was due to its giant strides in the development of basic education and to also create partnership and collaboration in delivery of basic education by increasing access through reducing the number of out-of-school-children ensuring quality and inclusiveness in the state.

She assured the governor that the 2024 matching grant of N3,554,642,584.46 is ready for release and that the 2025 allocation to Nasarawa State is N6,714,084,395.55.

Garba acknowledged the contributions of Nasarawa state government in the development of basic education, which includes construction and renovation of public basic institutions; recruitment of 2,000 teachers to cater for the shortfall in basic education and prompt payment of the state counterpart fund up to year 2024.

She appreciated the governor for the release of office accommodation for their zonal office and donation of a piece of land for the construction of the UBEC North-Central zonal office in Lafia.

While noting that the commission was yet to receive the Certificate of Occupancy, she said when the legal document is issued, it would spur them to commence work on the land in earnest.

She, however, revealed that the federal government through the Universal Basic Education Commission has disbursed over N20.8 billion to Nasarawa State as basic education support fund from 2005 to date, affirming that Nasarawa state is one of the top performing states in accessing the federal government UBE matching grant in Nigeria.

Earlier, the outgoing Executive chairman of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Mohammed Dan’Azumi thanked the UBEC executive secretary for the release of N6.7 billion matching grant and applauded Governor Abdullahi Sule for the support he has been given the board and for the prompt payment of teacher salaries and gratuities in the state.