UBEC, SUBEB Chairmen meet to assess readiness for HOPE-EDU implementation

...Gov Alia’s N150m monthly school grant boosts Benue’s readiness - Adagba

By Tolu Temidire

The N150 million monthly school grant scheme introduced by Governor Hyacinth Alia has strengthened Benue State’s preparedness for the implementation of the Human Capital Opportunities for Prosperity and Equity for Quality Basic Education, HOPE-EDU, programme, the Executive Chairman of the State Universal Basic Education Board, SUBEB, Dr Grace Adagba, has said.

Adagba stated this while presenting the state’s progress at a two-day strategic meeting convened by the Universal Basic Education Commission, UBEC, in Abuja, to assess states’ readiness for the implementation of the programme.


The Special Assistant to the Executive Chairman on Corporate Communications and Community Engagements, Msughter John Ataigbough in a statement said the Executive Chairman explained that the monthly grant scheme provides N50,000 to headteachers and principals to support essential school operations and address some of the immediate needs of their institutions.

According to her, the initiative, complemented by investments in school infrastructure and learning materials, has helped improve the learning environment and placed Benue in a favourable position to benefit from the HOPE-EDU programme.

Adagba stressed that the state’s ongoing basic education reforms were aimed at expanding access to quality education, promoting equity and improving learning outcomes for pupils.

The strategic meeting brought together executive chairmen of SUBEBs from across the country to evaluate their respective states’ level of preparedness for the programme and identify measures required for effective implementation.

Discussions at the meeting centred on state onboarding, stakeholder engagement and sensitisation, as well as operational arrangements necessary to ensure the successful delivery of the programme.

The engagement also provided a platform for participating states to present their progress, share experiences and assess existing interventions that could support the implementation of HOPE-EDU.

The programme, co-financed by the World Bank and the Global Partnership for Education, GPE, is being implemented through collaboration between UBEC and the various State Universal Basic Education Boards.

It is designed to strengthen basic education delivery, expand access to educational financing and support efforts to improve the quality of education in the country.

For Benue, the state government’s monthly school grant scheme and investments in educational infrastructure and learning resources constitute key interventions in its efforts to strengthen basic education delivery.

The state’s participation in the strategic meeting is expected to further align its existing reforms with the objectives of HOPE-EDU and enhance its capacity for effective programme implementation.