According to a data released by the Universal Basic Education Commission in March 2022, it was revealed that from 2005 to 2021, the Federal Government had disbursed a total of N564.61bn to the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
To access the fund, each state must also contribute an equivalent amount of the grant given by the federal government.
If the FG is contributing N946m to each state. It means each state must also contribute N946m, making it a total of N1.89bn to access the grant.
The worrisome level of default by some state governments to access the UBEC matching grants, due to their inability or refusal to pay the 50 per cent counterpart funds, as prerequisite for accessing the funds, has remained as albatross threatening the development of primary and basic education in the country.
The inability of the affected states to access the UBEC grant that is aimed at supporting the growth of the primary education sector has remained a cause of concern to the FG and UBEC.
The UBEC matching grant, which states could only access through payment of their 50 per cent counterpart funds, is for the upgrade of facilities and basic needs in primary and basic education schools such as building of classrooms and infrastructure, provision of instructional materials, boreholes and toilet facilities, training and retraining of teachers, among others to boost enrolment and retention in schools.
Earlier in the week, the Acting Executive Secretary of UBEC, Prof. Bala Zakari, while receiving the Senate Committee, said, “The sum of N46,211,153,298.63 is the total of un-accessed UBEC matching grants as at 30th April, 2023 by the 36 states and the FCT.
“Between 2019 and 2022, the sum of N162, 284,117,592 was allocated to the states being UBEC grants. As at 30th April, 2023, the sum of N116,072,964,294.33 was accessed by 36 states and the FCT, Abuja, representing 71.52 per cent as at 30th April, 2023.
“As at the time of reporting, only 11 states have accessed the 2022 matching grant.
“In 2019, no fewer than 35 states and FCT accessed the 2019 allocation, with one state – Anambra that is yet to access the grant as of 30th April, 2023.
“No fewer than 30 states and FCT have accessed their matching grants, while six states including Abia, Adamawa, Anambra, Ebonyi, Kwara and Ogun are yet to access the 2020 UBEC matching grant as at 30th April, 2023.
“In 2022 matching grants, 11 states including Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Ekiti, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Nasarawa, Ondo, Taraba and Zamfara have accessed their UBEC matching grants, even as 25 states and FCT are yet to access the 2022 UBE matching grants as at 30th April, 2023.
Here are the states with the highest unaccessed UBEC grants from 2015 to 2021:
1. Ogun State — N3.67bn
2. Anambra State — N3.18bn
3. Imo State — N3.18bn
4. Niger State — N2.67bn
5. Enugu State — N2.51bn
6. Abia State — N1.68bn
7. Kwara State — N1.66bn
8. Benue State — N1.66bn
9. Nasarawa State — N1.66bn
10. Adamawa State — N1.66bn
