The Federal Ministry of Education has broken its silence over growing attacks on the Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Aisha Garba, describing the allegations as part of a “coordinated smear campaign” aimed at frustrating ongoing reforms in the basic education sector.
In a firm statement on Tuesday, Education Minister, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, said the Ministry was alarmed by what it called a “malicious narrative” being peddled by a shadowy group known as the Education Rights Activists Coalition (ERAC)—a group whose credibility, he noted, is questionable.
“The claims are not just false. They are clearly sponsored and designed to distract the public from the transformational work being done at UBEC,” Alausa said.
At the centre of the storm is Aisha Garba, a seasoned education reformer with over two decades of international experience, including 15 years at the World Bank. Since assuming office, Garba has spearheaded sweeping reforms in Nigeria’s basic education space, with visible impact across states.
According to the Ministry, her achievements in the construction of 4,980 new classrooms, renovation of Over 3,000 school facilities, distribution of more than 5 million textbooks and 350,000 school furniture units, training of 147,000 teachers in modern pedagogy and development of 978,800 teachers under Nigeria’s largest-ever Teacher Development programme are louder than the noise
According to the statement UBEC under her watch has also introduced a major curriculum reform to infuse digital literacy and entrepreneurship into public schools—part of a joint effort with the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC).
In 2024 alone, UBEC under Garba facilitated access to ₦78.6 billion in grants for 28 states and the FCT under the Basic Education Action Plan (BEAP), through improved transparency and grant management.
Development partnerships have deepened too, with active collaborations involving the World Bank, UNICEF, IsDB, KOICA, and the UK FCDO.
More than 15,000 grassroots-led projects have been completed through the School-Based Management Committee (SBMC) model, the Ministry said.
“There is no record of financial misconduct. No breach of public trust. What we’re seeing is an attempt to discredit a woman who has refused to play politics with education,” Alausa added.
Calling the allegations “libellous and dangerous,” the Ministry urged Nigerians to remain focused on the real issues in education rather than be misled by unverified claims.
“We will not allow anyone to derail the progress being made in basic education. We stand solidly behind Aisha Garba and her team,” the statement concluded.
As Nigeria grapples with learning poverty and infrastructural deficits in public schools, the Ministry’s robust defence of UBEC signals that reformers—especially women in leadership—may face more resistance as they disrupt entrenched systems.
But for now, Garba has the full backing of her ministry—and the numbers to defend her story.
