The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) is finalising a framework to institutionalise public-private partnerships in basic education and ensure that interventions are coordinated and sustainable.

UBEC also said that the framework would align with national priorities.

Abdulmumuni Abdulsalam, Acting Head, Public-Private Engagement and Partnership (PPEP) Unit, UBEC, said the framework would provide a structured approach to engaging private-sector actors, development partners and other stakeholders.

Mr Abdulsalam spoke on Wednesday in Ikeja at a two-day meeting on the finalisation of the UBEC Public-Private Engagement and Partnership Framework.

Mr Abdulsalam was represented at the event by Ebire Agada, an official of the PPEP Unit, who delivered the address.

The meeting was aimed at ensuring that the framework is practical, effective and responsive to the realities of basic education delivery in Nigeria.

Mr Abdulsalam described the draft framework as a strategic tool for strengthening collaboration between government and non-state actors.

He said the framework would help to harness the resources, expertise, innovation, technology and institutional capacity of partners to complement government efforts in addressing challenges in the education sector.

“Government alone cannot address all the challenges of providing quality, accessible, equitable and inclusive basic education,” he said.

Mr Abdulsalam said sustainable partnerships were needed to mobilise additional resources, introduce innovative solutions, strengthen institutional capacity and support interventions in areas with critical gaps.

He said the framework would ensure that partnerships would move beyond isolated interventions to become strategic and coordinated efforts aligned with national education priorities.

“Through effective public-private engagement, we can collectively contribute to expanding access, improving quality of teaching and learning, strengthening education infrastructure and promoting equity and inclusion,” he said.

In her remarks, Aisha Garba, executive secretary of UBEC, said the framework was being developed to address gaps in the commission’s approach to partnerships.

Ms Garba said that past partnerships had largely been ad hoc, without clear guidelines defining how private-sector actors, philanthropists, foundations and international partners could engage with UBEC.

She said the new framework would establish clear expectations for partners while promoting accountability, transparency and compliance with the Universal Basic Education Act and UBEC’s 10-year roadmap.

“This framework is intended to provide a common direction and practical structure for how government and private-sector actors can work together to address identified challenges in basic education,” she said.

Ms Garba said the framework was particularly important against the backdrop of persistent challenges, including a high number of out-of-school children, infrastructure deficits, inadequate qualified teachers and pressure on public resources.

She said that participants would scrutinise the draft to ensure that it was implementable and responsive to the realities of schools across the country.

According to her, the completed framework will be presented to the Minister of Education and the UBEC Board for approval and formal launch.

She said that, upon approval, it would serve as the official guide for partnership initiatives involving UBEC and State Universal Basic Education Boards (SUBEBs).

Ms Garba said the framework would also ensure that financial, technical and material contributions from partners would be strategically harnessed to advance quality basic education.

She acknowledged the contributions of the Federal Ministry of Education, UNICEF, Solina Group, Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF), SUBEB representatives, civil society organisations, private-sector actors and other stakeholders to the development of the framework.

She urged participants to critically examine the draft and make meaningful contributions that would strengthen its effectiveness and relevance to basic education delivery nationwide. 

(NAN)