Education ministry condemns smear campaign against UBEC Executive Secretary, Aisha Garba

The Federal Ministry of Education has denounced what it described as a “sponsored smear campaign” targeting the Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Aisha Garba.

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In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Minister of State for Education, Maruf Tunji Alausa, said the Ministry’s attention had been drawn to what it called “libellous and misleading reports” circulated by a group operating under the name Education Rights Activists Coalition (ERAC).

The group alleged administrative misconduct and a disregard for the rule of law on the part of Ms Garba — claims the Ministry dismissed as “baseless, malicious, and clearly politically motivated.”

Mr Alausa described the attacks as a calculated attempt by “disgruntled individuals and entrenched interests” to derail the reform agenda currently underway in the basic education sector under Ms Garba’s stewardship.

“Aisha Garba is an internationally respected education expert with over 24 years of experience, including 15 years at the World Bank. She has brought integrity, professionalism, and global best practices to UBEC,” the minister said.

According to the ministry, Ms Garba’s leadership has led to significant progress in access, equity, and quality of basic education across the country. Under her watch, UBEC has constructed nearly 5,000 classrooms, renovated over 3,000 others, and established early childhood care and development centres nationwide.

The Commission has also distributed more than five million textbooks and over 350,000 units of classroom furniture across public schools.

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In the area of capacity building, more than 147,000 teachers have been trained in modern pedagogical techniques, while nearly 978,800 others have benefitted from Nigeria’s largest-ever teacher professional development initiative.

A comprehensive curriculum reform to embed digital literacy, entrepreneurship, and 21st-century skills is currently being implemented in partnership with the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC).

The ministry further noted that UBEC has significantly improved utilisation of the Basic Education Action Plan (BEAP) and the Matching Grant Formula. In 2024 alone, ₦78.6 billion was accessed by 28 states and the FCT — a marked improvement over previous years.

Ms Garba’s administration has also deepened institutional partnerships with international development partners such as the World Bank, UNICEF, the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), and the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).

Additionally, more than 15,000 community-led projects have been executed under the School-Based Management Committee–School Improvement Programme (SBMC–SIP).

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The ministry said no financial infractions have been recorded under Ms Garba’s tenure and urged the public to disregard what it described as “orchestrated falsehoods aimed at discrediting a transformational leader.”

“It is regrettable that some subversive elements, clearly threatened by Ms Garba’s transparent and results-driven leadership, have resorted to sponsoring a malicious smear campaign in a desperate attempt to roll back the gains made under the Renewed Hope Agenda,” Mr Alausa said.

“Their efforts are futile and will not succeed. The Ministry strongly condemns these orchestrated attacks and calls on the public to dismiss them entirely. We stand firmly with Aisha Garba as she continues her critical work to deliver quality, inclusive, and safe basic education to all Nigerian children.”

Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu has received fresh commendations for appointing Ms Garba as the head of UBEC. Her reforms, observers say, are already transforming the basic education landscape nationwide.

In a joint statement, the Education and Tech Coalition of Activists and Social Entrepreneurs hailed the president’s decision to bring Ms Garba from the World Bank into the federal education system. “Her appointment reflects this administration’s clear commitment to education reform,” the coalition said.

“UBEC under Aisha Garba’s leadership has rolled out impactful reforms. Out-of-school children are returning to classrooms, and there’s a visible improvement in learning outcomes due to upgraded infrastructure, learning tools, and teaching standards.”

Public commentator and founder of Alpha Reach, Japhet Omojuwa, also took to social media platform X to spotlight Ms Garba’s efforts in dismantling bureaucratic bottlenecks that had long stalled access to matching grants by state governments.

“For two decades, a seemingly minor document created a major stumbling block for states to access basic education grants. Aisha Garba removed that bottleneck,” he wrote.

Ms Omojuwa noted that her reforms led to a 60 percent fund utilisation rate, the distribution of six million textbooks, and improved access to education for nearly three million children.

“States now feel like true partners in the development of basic education, thanks to the inclusive and strategic leadership of Aisha Garba,” he added, praising her experience managing a $3 billion portfolio at the World Bank, covering countries like Nigeria, Kenya, Somalia, and Ghana.

On social media, her work continues to receive accolades. “She didn’t come to play politics; she came to work — and she’s already breaking 20-year barriers,” user Mazi NnaEmeka posted.

Another user, HighChiefOkoro, wrote: “No noise, just results. @AishaMGarba is proving that with the right competence and vision, even the most rigid systems can be reformed.”