Ministry Slams “Malicious Smear Job” on UBEC Boss-Alausa: Baseless Attacks Won’t Derail Education Reform

By Queen Kunde

The Federal Ministry of Education has come out swinging against what it calls a “sponsored smear campaign” aimed at discrediting the Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Aisha Garba.

In a strongly worded statement released Tuesday, Minister of Education Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa condemned recent media reports accusing Garba of misconduct and legal violations. The reports, circulated by a little-known group under the name Education Rights Activists Coalition (ERAC), were described by the Ministry as “libellous, misleading, and malicious.”

“This is a desperate ploy by disgruntled individuals who are threatened by the sweeping reforms currently reshaping Nigeria’s basic education sector,” Dr. Alausa stated.

The Ministry hailed Garba as an nternationally respected education reformer with 24 years of experience, including a 15-year tenure at the World Bank. Since her appointment, UBEC has reportedly delivered major progress in infrastructure, curriculum, and teacher development.

UBEC’s Record Under Garba

According to the Ministry’s data, under Garba’s stewardship:

• 4,800 new classrooms have been built, and over 3,000 renovated
• More than 5 million textbooks and 350,000 furniture units have been distributed
• 147,000 teachers have received modern training
• Over 978,000 educators have benefitted from Nigeria’s largest-ever teacher development program
• A major curriculum overhaul now includes digital literacy and entrepreneurship
• In 2024 alone, ?78.6 billion in education funds were accessed by 28 states and the FCT
• Partnerships with UNICEF, World Bank, IsDB, FCDO, and others have been strengthened
• Over 15,000 community-led school projects were executed through SBMCs

The Ministry said there has been no evidence of financial misconduct under Garba’s leadership, insisting that all funds have been properly utilized and accounted for.

“We urge Nigerians to ignore orchestrated falsehoods. Aisha Garba remains a pillar of the government’s education transformation,” Alausa affirmed.

The Ministry reiterated its commitment to quality, inclusive, and equitable basic education, warning detractors that attempts to sabotage progress will not succeed.