The Federal Government has announced that 27 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have accessed a total of ₦78.6bn in Universal Basic Education (UBE) matching grants by mid-2025, marking a 65 per cent increase compared to figures recorded in January.
The update was disclosed via the official X (formerly Twitter) handle of the Federal Ministry of Education. The ministry attributed the significant increase to the implementation of the UBEC 2025–2030 Strategic Blueprint, which introduced a revised matching grant formula prioritising equity, quality, accountability, and state-specific service delivery in basic education funding.
“FG records major success as ₦78.6bn in UBE Matching Grants accessed by 27 states and FCT by mid-2025, a 65 per cent surge from January,” the ministry stated.
The statement further explained that the increased access to funds resulted from sustained high-level advocacy by both the Federal Ministry of Education and the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC).
These efforts included direct engagement with state governors and the provision of data-driven feedback, which encouraged more states to fulfil the requirement of providing counterpart funds in order to unlock the federal grants.
Speaking on the development, the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, described the figures as a “clear indication of focused reforms and collaboration”.
He commended states that had complied with the funding process and urged others yet to access their allocations to act promptly.
“This progress reinforces our commitment to ensuring that every naira invested in basic education delivers meaningful outcomes. We remain dedicated to transparency and effective service delivery in the sector,” Alausa said.
The UBE grants are meant to support various initiatives aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s basic education system.
These include the construction and rehabilitation of classrooms, procurement of learning materials, teacher training, and other key interventions to improve learning outcomes across the country.
In a bid to incentivise greater participation, the Federal Government had, in August 2024, increased the statutory allocation for UBE matching grants from about ₦1.3bn to over ₦3.3bn per state.
Under the revised framework, each state that provides an equal amount in counterpart funding is eligible to access a total of approximately ₦6.6bn.
The Ministry reiterated that it will continue to work with state governments to ensure that all eligible funding is accessed and utilised efficiently in alignment with the goals of the UBE programme.
