More than a quarter-trillion naira allocated for basic education is sitting idle in state government accounts, the Universal Basic Education Commission disclosed on Tuesday, warning that Nigeria’s learning crisis will persist unless states move beyond “accessing funds” to actually deploying them for measurable impact.
The revelation came at the opening of the 30th Quarterly Meeting of UBEC and Executive Chairmen of State Universal Basic Education Boards in Asaba, Delta State—a gathering that has become an annual stocktake of how well Nigeria is translating education budgets into classroom realities.
Dr Aisha Garba, Executive Secretary of UBEC, put the figures on the table with blunt urgency: over N65bn in unaccessed counterpart funding and approximately N267bn in previously released intervention funds remain trapped in state accounts, unspent and unproductive.
“Accessing funds is only part of the responsibility before us,” Garba told the gathering of education commissioners, SUBEB chairmen, development partners and traditional rulers. “These resources cannot improve education while they remain in accounts.”
Her warning lands at a critical moment. Nigeria currently has an estimated 10.2 million out-of-school children—the highest in the world—and ranks among the lowest globally in learning outcomes. The gap between budget allocation and actual classroom impact has long frustrated policymakers, but Tuesday’s disclosure put a specific figure on the inertia: N332bn in total unutilised funds.
The UBEC intervention funds, which are drawn from the Federal Government’s 2% Consolidated Revenue Fund, are meant to support state-level projects including teacher training, school infrastructure, library development, and special education programmes. But many states struggle with bureaucratic bottlenecks, weak project planning, and insufficient technical capacity to execute approved proposals.
Garba urged states to strengthen their planning, execution and monitoring systems, stressing that “the goal of funding should be improved learning outcomes rather than simply the completion of projects.”
Delta State, which played host to the four-day meeting, presented itself as a model of what is possible when political will meets educational planning.
Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, represented by Deputy Governor Monday Onyeme, told delegates that his administration regards education as a “major pillar” of its MORE Agenda. He reeled off a list of investments that suggest genuine commitment:
· 302,000+ pupils enrolled in public basic schools, with 187,000 (62%) benefiting directly from state interventions.
· 174 classrooms constructed, 815 renovated, and construction commenced on 24 additional classrooms in partnership with the Delta State Universal Basic Education Board.
· 39 perimeter fences and gatehouses, 230 VIP toilets, and 12 solar-powered boreholes delivered to improve safety, sanitation and the learning environment.
· A SMART School in Orogun, featuring hostels, refectory blocks and staff quarters, now operational to support technology-driven learning.
· 5,500+ teachers trained in Jolly Phonics, STEP, SMASE and School-Based Training programmes, with 53 community tutors deployed to underserved communities.
The governor also disclosed that he had already approved Delta’s 2026 UBEC counterpart fund, having fulfilled its 2025 obligation—a signal that the state is not waiting for federal pressure to act.
“The true measure of investment in education lies not in what we spend, but in the quality of learning we deliver, the opportunities we create, and the future we secure for our children,” Oborevwori said.
UBEC has approved two additional Model SMART Schools for Delta, with land already provided by the state government.
Beyond infrastructure, Delta SUBEB Chairman Samuel Mariere highlighted the deployment of SMART Board technology and digital monitoring systems designed specifically to address teacher absenteeism—a persistent challenge in public basic schools across Nigeria.
“Technology can be deployed not merely as a learning tool but also as an instrument for improving accountability and institutional effectiveness,” Mariere said.
His comments point to a growing consensus among education stakeholders: that investment without accountability is performative, and that technology offers a practical pathway to tracking both teacher presence and pupil progress.
The Asagba of Asaba, Prof. Epiphany Azinge, delivered perhaps the most sobering remark of the opening session. He described education as “the most important investment any country could make” and warned that Nigeria’s future hinges on the quality of its human capital.
“The true wealth of Nigeria lies not beneath her soil but within the minds of her children,” the monarch said.
The four-day meeting continues with technical sessions focused on education planning, resource utilisation, digital transformation, accountability, and strategies for expanding access to quality basic education.
But the underlying question remains unresolved: How do you move N267bn from idle accounts to active classrooms?
Stakeholders at the meeting called for greater cooperation among UBEC, SUBEBs, development partners, traditional institutions and communities. Some suggested simplifying the fund disbursement process; others pushed for performance-based release of tranches to incentivise timely execution.
What is clear is that Nigeria’s basic education system can no longer afford the luxury of unspent funds. As Garba put it, “These resources cannot improve education while they remain in accounts.”
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