The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) has unveiled plans to reach 29 million children, 500,000 teachers and 65,000 public schools under the $552.18 million Human Capital Opportunities for Prosperity and Equity (HOPE-EDU) programme.
Key Highlights
- The $552.18 million HOPE-EDU programme targets 29 million children, 500,000 teachers and 65,000 public schools.
- It also targets 10,000 non-formal learning centres and the construction of 13,000 classrooms.
- The World Bank-supported programme became effective on February 27, 2026.
- States must meet agreed targets before receiving funds under the results-based financing model.
- UBEC urges states to make provisions for the programme in their 2027 budgets.
The commission’s Executive Secretary, Aisha Garba, disclosed this during a two-day meeting with chairmen of State Universal Basic Education Boards (SUBEBs) in Abuja, where she called for stronger state government commitment to the programme.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, UBEC said the World Bank-supported initiative also targets 10,000 non-formal learning centres and the construction of 13,000 classrooms to improve access to basic education and raise learning standards nationwide.
Garba said HOPE-EDU became effective on February 27, 2026, and has entered its implementation phase. She urged state governments to provide the political leadership and financial support required to meet its objectives.
The programme uses a results-based financing model, meaning participating states must achieve agreed targets and satisfy performance indicators before receiving corresponding funds.
Garba said the initiative is designed to improve learning outcomes, expand equitable access to basic education and strengthen governance and accountability in the education sector.
It also builds on the existing Universal Basic Education programme and complements other government interventions in governance and primary healthcare.
How the Funds Are Shared
The programme is organised around three areas: improving the quality of basic education, expanding access and strengthening key systems.
According to Garba, $262.239 million has been earmarked for improving education quality, $123.9 million for expanding access and $133.611 million for strengthening education systems.
She explained that the quality improvement component was open to 33 states, with participation potentially extending to all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, subject to involvement in the HOPE-GOV operations.
The access component targets 15 states with the highest populations of out-of-school children that also meet the programme’s other eligibility conditions. The systems-strengthening component is open to all 36 states and the FCT.
Garba said the programme would prioritise better teaching practices, essential learning materials and improved pupil performance.
It would also encourage the use of the structured pedagogy programme to strengthen literacy and numeracy teaching in primary schools.
She identified cooperation among state ministries of education, SUBEBs, local education authorities, schools and school-based management committees as essential to delivering the planned results.
States Urged to Budget for HOPE-EDU
The UBEC chief also warned that funding decisions by state governments would play a major role in determining whether participating states meet the programme’s performance requirements.
She urged SUBEB chairmen to present the programme to their respective state executives and secure the necessary political backing and budgetary allocations.
Garba placed particular emphasis on the 2027 state budgets, noting that several indicators linked to the release of funds depended on states making adequate provisions for programme activities.
“A lot of the deliverables for Year 1 will require provisions in the states’ 2027 budget,” she said.
She added that the initiative, introduced under the Tinubu administration, is intended to give children equal opportunities to access quality education, particularly those living in rural and underserved communities and those currently excluded from formal schooling.
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Garba charged the SUBEB chairmen to take ownership of implementation and ensure their respective states met the agreed targets.
“The success of HOPE-EDU rests on your shoulders. Let us work together to ensure that no state is left behind,” she said.
She encouraged participants to engage actively in the discussions and return to their states as advocates for effective implementation.
Earlier, HOPE-EDU Programme Manager, Olumayowa Aleshin, outlined the programme’s funding structure, implementation targets and major milestones.
The programme is expected to improve teaching and learning, create more opportunities for underserved children and strengthen the systems needed to deliver quality basic education across Nigeria.
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