By Egufe Yafugborhi

UYO – THE Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) has urged its policies implementers to embrace the revised Basic Education Action Plan (BEAP) template with commitment to maximise its viability for erasing bottlenecks that have induced failure of states access to N250Billion dormant funds for improving basic education in Nigeria.

UBEC Executive Secretary, Aisha Garba, gave the charge Wednesday in a training workshop in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state, to expose South South State Universal Basic Education Boards (SUBEB) Directors and Desk Officers of the Department of Physical Planning responsible for planning and execution of action plans in their various states.

The Executive Secretary, represented by the Special Assistant, Ibrahim Gold, noted that the failure by states to meet the basic requirements for accessing the dormant funds is forced by associated complexities due to slow utilisation and systemic inefficiencies.

Garba told participants, “Accordingly, this capacity building workshop is in line with reforms, especially in the area of developing work plans to access the UBE Intervention Funds.

“The thinking in the Commission is to have only one work plan for the different envelopes of the intervention funds i.e. Matching Grants, Teacher Professional Development, Special Needs etc.

“Therefore, the need to come up with workable and user friendly templates for the preparation of work plans to replace the existing one that has been in operation for over two decades.”

He disclosed that a similar workshop was held for Northern States in Kano with encouraging performance feedback, urging participant in the South South gathering to emerge with better performance as he declared the two day workshop opened.

Officially unveiled in Makurdi 25 May 2025, the BEAP upgrade would champion results-based planning and financial accountability with participants expected to understand the revised financing mechanisms, and ensure they have all that is needed to drive meaningful change at their various states.

Sadiq Saiad, Director Physical Planning, UBEC and the Executive Chairman, Akwa Ibom SUBEB, Dr Aniette Etuk, both implored participant to be attentive to grab the intended improved capacity as the interactive training entered technical review sessions.