Amuwo-Odofin, Ibeju Lekki LGa’s have been listed to be part of the 11 eleven Local government areas that had benefitted from the Universal Basic Education Funds Tracking (UBEFT) project action plan in Lagos State, in the last six years.
The Human Development Initiatives (HDI) Foundation, on Friday, said it tracked a total of N3.49 billion spent on the project.
Other local governments included are Apapa, Agege, Somolu, Kosofe, Surulere, Ojo, Eti-Osa, Ajeromi, and Mushin.
Mrs. Olufunso Owasanoye, Executive Director, of HDI Foundation, said this at the Official Close-Out of the UBEFT Project and the Public launch of the project report on Friday, 31st March 2023 in Lagos.
Owasanoye said following the support of the MacArthur Foundation, the amount tracked by HDI was expended by the State Government from the Basic Education Funds in the above-mentioned 11 local government areas of the state.
“The initial project covered three years from 2016 to 2019 while the follow-up funding covered the period of 2019 to 2021.
“The initial report of tracking Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board’s (SUBEBs) 2016 and 2017 action plan was launched on July 30, 2019, while the current report covers the implementation of years 2018, 2019, and 2020 action plans,” she said.
The N3.49 billion was said to be spent on school projects such as construction, rehabilitation, fencing, sport development, Agricultural development, water, and sanitation, among others.
Owasanoye explained that the UBEFT project which officially kicked off in the year 2017 had been a very impactful one with a series of activities and successes.
“It has been a project of intense engagement between the government and community stakeholders.
“After about seven years of intentional engagement with the major players in basic education at the national and state levels, we can say that qualitative, inclusive, and equitable basic education can be actualized in Nigeria.
” This is possible and will happen with concerted efforts of all and sundry to help hold the government accountable.
” The project did not only focus on engagement with government actors but much more engagement with community stakeholders including school-based management committees, parents forum, Community Development Association /Committees, among other right holders,” she said.
Owasanoye charged education stakeholders to double their efforts to better advocate, initiate, create, and innovate for positive changes, especially in the area of basic education development in Lagos State and Nigeria at large.
She commended SUBEB and the Lagos State Ministry of Education for their innovation aimed at both digitizing and digitalizing basic education in Lagos State.
The director said: ” Eko Excel has been a game changer in the delivery of quality basic education to Lagosians and most definitely, there are still areas of improvement even as the program continues to unfold.
Board Chairperson, HDI, Prof. Sarah Oloko, said the foundation, over the years, was able to monitor the various projects across the selected local governments in the state with the help of its committed and dedicated staff and project monitors.
Oloko lauded MacArthur Foundation for its support in delivering quality education over the years, adding that there was room for more collaboration between HDI and MacArthur.
In her goodwill message, the Commissioner For Education, Lagos State, Mrs. Folashade Adefisayo, hailed HDI for being a worthy partner with the state in ensuring the delivery of quality education projects.
Adefisayo, represented by Mr. Adeyemi Adebayo, Director, Basic Education Services, Lagos State Ministry of Education, said that HDI had effectively monitored all the state’s education projects within the last six years.
She said that the foundation had provided technical support and training for the state’s school teachers, principals, and SUBEB board members on good practices and management strategies.
We recall that the Universal Basic Education (UBE) Act was signed into law in 2004 as a Federal Government intervention program in schools which was created to ensure unfettered access to nine years of formal education, provide free, universal basic education and reduce incidences of dropping out of school, among other targets.