The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) has declared that no Nigerian child should be denied education because of difficult circumstances.
The Executive Secretary of UBEC, Dr Aisha Garba, said this during the commissioning of the rehabilitated Alternative High School for Girls, Agboju, Lagos State.
This was contained in a statement issued by Garba on Saturday.
The intervention addresses ongoing challenges affecting basic and secondary education in Nigeria, including school dropout, poverty and displacement.
Garba explained that alternative learning pathways are especially important for girls who leave school due to pregnancy, early marriage or family responsibilities.
She described the Agboju school rehabilitation as more than an infrastructure project, calling it a fresh opportunity for girls whose education had been interrupted.
“A girl whose circumstances prevented her from completing her education should be given another opportunity. Every child deserves an alternative pathway to acquire the education they deserve to succeed in life,” she said.
According to her, girls who dropped out of school should not be seen as lost causes, and young mothers returning to education should not feel their chance has passed.
“Let this not simply be a place where girls attend classes. Let it be a place where hope is restored, confidence is built and the future is renewed,” Garba said.
She noted that children affected by conflict, displacement or difficult circumstances still have dreams and potential worth investing in.
Garba said the Federal Government, through the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative, is pursuing reforms to improve education quality and access for all Nigerian children.
She listed the scope of the Agboju intervention to include school infrastructure, furniture, ICT equipment, laboratory and vocational tools, and water and sanitation facilities.
“We believe that investment in education should be visible, not only in figures and reports, but in the classrooms where children learn, in the facilities they use and, most importantly, in the lives they are able to transform,” she said.
UBEC has formally handed over the rehabilitated school to the Lagos State Government, with a call to sustain and maintain the facility.
Garba disclosed that a second Alternative High School for Girls in Ikorodu is nearing completion.
She also announced that UBEC would provide the Agboju school with a bus and digital smart boards before the end of 2026.
“The true measure of our success will be the girl who walks through these gates and discovers that she still has a future. It will be the girl who acquires a skill, finds employment, starts a business or becomes a leader in her community. That is why this investment matters,” she said.
Garba commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for prioritising education under the Renewed Hope Agenda, and praised First Lady Oluremi Tinubu for her support of girls’ education.
The First Lady was represented at the event by the wife of the Vice President, Hajiya Nana Shettima.
Garba urged the Agboju community to protect and support the school and the girls it serves.
Digital Operations Manager at The Students Forum Nigeria.
