UBEC plans direct grants to primary schools from early 2027
- UBEC says public primary schools will get annual grants paid straight to them from early 2027.
- The HOPE-EDU programme, backed by the World Bank, has over $66.4m set aside for the grants.
- Each school is to receive at least $100 a term, with states qualifying for gateway grants.
Public primary schools across Nigeria are to start receiving annual grants paid directly to them from early 2027, the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) has said.
The money is meant to let school managers handle small repairs and fix their learning environments without waiting on long approvals from above.
UBEC Executive Secretary Dr Aisha Garba announced the plan in Kano on Tuesday, at a regional workshop on the World Bank-supported HOPE-EDU Programme. She was represented by the Deputy Director of Social Mobilisation, Malam Sahabo Basa.
More than $66.4 million has been earmarked for the annual grants, according to the commission. Each school is expected to get a minimum of $100 per term.
How the money will flow
Under the programme's design, states must first meet set conditions before funds are released. Each qualifying state gets a gateway grant of $200,000, while states backed by the Global Partnership for Education get $160,000.
The conditions include approving the minimum school grant, updating rules for School-Based Management Committees and making sure schools have working bank accounts.
Later releases depend on how many public primary schools are actually covered. Programme documents put the sums at $18.849 million when 70 per cent of schools are covered, $22.723 million at 80 per cent and $22.598 million at 90 per cent.
Garba said the arrangement follows a Programme-for-Results model, where states only get money after meeting agreed targets and having results verified. She said the aim is for education funds to reach schools on time and be managed transparently.
"It will enhance quick decision-making, especially on small renovations and school environment needs," she said.
She also named likely hurdles: delays in releasing funds, difficulty raising counterpart funding, weak regulations and limited capacity among officials handling education money. "These challenges may affect performance if not properly addressed," she said.
The HOPE-EDU Programme Manager, Mr Mayowa Aleshin, said the scheme took effect on February 27, 2026, and has moved from planning to implementation. The Kano workshop drew officials from North-West and North-East states to clarify who does what.
For parents, the plan could mean faster fixes to classrooms, roofs and toilets, and safer spaces for pupils. But it depends on states meeting the conditions and releasing funds on time.
What happens next
Participating states are to draw up their own action plans, and UBEC says it will keep giving technical support. Disbursement of the school grants is expected to begin early 2027.
