Nigeria requires 20,000 extra primary schools, according to UBEC

Nigeria needs an additional 20,000 schools and 907,769 classrooms, according to Dr. Hamid Bobboyi, Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), in order to accommodate the rising number of out-of-school children.

Bobboyi identified infrastructure gaps and a lack of manpower as some of the challenges the commission faces in its efforts to ensure equal access to high-quality basic education when briefing the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, during his meeting with parastatals and agencies under the ministry's supervision.

In his response, the minister pledged that his administration would give basic education in the nation top priority, stating that it is the most important area of the sector and needs to be properly developed in order to have a positive effect on other tiers of the sector and overall national development.

Prof. Mamman urged all the states that make up the federation to commit more resources to matching funding in order to hasten the expansion of the nation's basic education system.

He asserted that "the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will stop at nothing to ensure that every Nigerian child receives an education."

The minister promised that the debates about the exact numbers of youngsters not in school would be resolved by the upcoming national census.

The Minister of State for Education, Dr. Yusuf Tanko Sununu, emphasized the need for all hands on deck to ensure that kids receive the education they need to be prepared for the future.