After A Six-Year Backlog, Kwara Prepares to Access UBEC Fund for Education

The Kwara State government has expressed its readiness to access a Universal Basic Education Commission grant on Saturday, 5th of September, 2020, after a six-year backlog to bridge the widening gap in its educational sector. 

This was disclosed in a memo released by the government through the office of its Commissioner of Information, Harriet Afolabi-Oshatimehin, dated September 5th, 2020, published via the government’s social media platforms. 

A total sum of N14,301,843,568, which includes 50% matching grant from UBEC, is disclosed to have been pegged for the revitalisation of basic education sector across the state. 

The statement reads: “Kwara would be committing at least N14,301,843,568 to revitalise the basic education sectors across the state.

“The money would serve as 50% matching grant from UBEC Counterpart funds and is to be spent to bridge yawning in its education sector, including strengthening infrastructure, training and equipping teachers with modern teaching skills, providing instruction material, and purchasing vehicles to aid the performance of monitoring and quality assurance activities across the state. 

Meanwhile, a CAMPUS REPORTER investigation published in August revealed that the state currently has the highest outstanding UBEC funds in the country, following the blacklist banged on it for using the funds it accessed in 2013 for a non-educational purpose. But it broke out of the pariah status when the current administration refunded N450M which was diverted to the commission.