The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) has described Delta State’s digital teacher attendance monitoring system, Attend360, as a model that could be adopted to improve accountability and learning outcomes across Nigeria.
UBEC Executive Secretary, Aisha Garba, made the assessment during a courtesy visit to the Delta State Government in Asaba, where she commended the state for using technology to strengthen school management and monitor teacher attendance.
The visit was part of activities surrounding the 30th Quarterly Meeting of UBEC Management with Executive Chairmen of State Universal Basic Education Boards (SUBEBs), held under the theme, “Repositioning Basic Education in Nigeria to Optimise Investment and Impact.”
The meeting provided an opportunity for UBEC management and SUBEB chairmen from different states to examine ways of improving the impact of investments and innovations in the basic education sector.
Garba said the Attend360 platform demonstrated the potential of technology to address teacher absenteeism and ensure that educators were available and actively engaged in classrooms.
She stressed that the presence of qualified teachers was central to effective learning, noting that infrastructure alone could not guarantee quality education.
According to her, Delta was chosen to host the meeting because of its notable progress in the education sector, particularly its deployment of technology to improve school administration, teacher attendance and accountability.
The UBEC executive secretary also praised the state for its record in accessing the Universal Basic Education (UBE) matching grants, noting that Delta had accessed its matching grant through 2025 and was among the states making progress in basic education.
She, however, called on the state government to ensure that available UBEC funds were fully utilised and that approved programmes were implemented promptly.
Garba said education investments should ultimately produce tangible improvements in school facilities, teaching quality and students’ learning outcomes.
She further encouraged Delta to take advantage of the education component of the HOPE Education Programme, a World Bank-supported initiative with up to 500 million dollars earmarked for education.
She explained that states seeking to participate in the programme were expected to access the 2026 matching grant and implement at least 50 per cent of their 2025 Action Plan.
Garba urged Delta to sustain its investment in education, maximise available resources and utilise the technical support provided by UBEC.
Responding, the Deputy Governor of Delta, Monday Onyeme, assured the commission that the state would continue to prioritise education and expand access to quality learning opportunities.
Onyeme clarified that updated government records indicated that the state had about N1 billion in unutilised funds, rather than the N8 billion earlier cited.
He also disclosed that Delta had implemented about 90 per cent of its 2025 Action Plan and had received its 2026 matching grant.
The deputy governor described education as one of the state’s key investment priorities and pledged continued efforts to improve the sector.
The UBEC delegation also visited the Asagba of Asaba, HRM Prof. Epiphany Azinge, where Garba emphasised the role of traditional institutions and other stakeholders in supporting Nigeria’s education agenda.
She said UBEC was committed to ensuring that every Nigerian child, irrespective of location, economic circumstances or family background, had access to quality basic education.
Garba also acknowledged the Asagba’s support for education initiatives in Delta, including smart-school projects, and advocated closer cooperation between traditional institutions, government and education agencies.
She said the ultimate objective was to ensure that investments and innovations in the education sector resulted in meaningful improvements in classrooms and better outcomes for children.
Azinge, in his remarks, described basic education as the foundation for Nigeria’s future and stressed the importance of developing quality teachers at the primary-school level.
He maintained that the standard of teachers would ultimately influence the quality of citizens produced by the education system.
The traditional ruler urged UBEC and SUBEB chairmen to confront the challenges affecting basic education and develop practical solutions that would ensure no child was excluded.
He particularly called for attention to children with disabilities and those from disadvantaged backgrounds, stressing that every Nigerian child deserved access to basic education.
