The Universal Basic Education Commission(UBEC) has introduced an annual school grant initiative to enable public primary schools to address urgent infrastructure repairs and improve their learning environments.
The initiative is designed to decentralise financial management by allowing schools to make decisions on immediate needs, including minor renovations and environmental improvements.
The Executive Secretary of UBEC, Dr Aisha Garba, disclosed this in Kano at a five-day regional thematic workshop on the HOPE-EDU Programme.
Represented by the Deputy Director of Social Mobilisation, Sahabo Basa, Garba said the initiative, under Disbursement-Linked Indicator(DLI) 7 of the programme, would empower school management to respond more quickly to challenges and create safer, more conducive learning environments.
She said the programme’s Results Area 3 focused on ensuring that education funds reached schools promptly, were managed transparently and translated into improved learning conditions.
According to her, Disbursement-Linked Indicator 6 focuses on strengthening decentralised financial management, while DLI 7 covers annual school grants and the regulations governing their use.
Garba, however, identified timely fund releases, counterpart funding, clear regulations and the capacity of officials responsible for managing resources as potential challenges to implementation.
She urged participants to develop practical solutions to the challenges and produce state-specific action plans to ensure effective implementation.
“The success of this programme will be measured in your states, in your LGEAs and in your schools,” she said, assuring state Universal Basic Education Boards of UBEC’s technical support and coordination.
Earlier, the HOPE-EDU Programme Manager, Mr Mayowa Aleshin, said the workshop was organised to prepare state officials for the implementation of Results Area 3 and strengthen their capacity to deliver on DLIs 6 and 7.
Aleshin said the programme became effective on February 27, 2026, adding that its focus had shifted from planning to implementation.
He said the workshop brought together officials from North-East and North-West states to clarify their responsibilities and strengthen readiness for the implementation of the indicators.
According to him, the sessions would align the roles of finance and accounts, procurement, social mobilisation and environmental and social safeguard officers.