The Federal Government has set November 15 as the deadline for the delivery of quality learning materials to public primary schools across the South-East and South-South regions.
The initiative is being implemented by the Federal Ministry of Education through the Universal Basic Education Commission, UBEC, with support from the World Bank under the HOPE-EDU Programme.
The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, disclosed this in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, during the flag-off of a five-day regional thematic workshop on the Book Supply Chain and Track and Trace system.
The workshop brought together education directors and procurement officers from State Universal Basic Education Boards, SUBEBs, across the South-East and South-South.
Represented by an Assistant Director in the Federal Ministry of Education, Zubair Muhammad, the minister said the initiative was designed to strengthen basic education by ensuring that pupils in public schools have access to the books they need.
Alausa said the government would not only provide the books but also establish mechanisms to track their distribution and ensure they are properly stored and preserved for learners at different levels.
He stressed the need for accurate data on the number of pupils in public schools across the two regions to support the government’s target of achieving a one-child, one-book ratio.
Also speaking, the Executive Secretary of UBEC, Aisha Garba, said education remained central to national development and reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment, in partnership with the World Bank, to achieving quality outcomes under the HOPE-EDU Programme.
Garba, represented by UBEC Zonal Director for the South-South, Akpan Ossom Udo, said the Book Supply Chain and Track and Trace system would promote transparency, accountability and ensure that learning materials reach the right schools and pupils.
She warned participating states that readiness by November 15 was mandatory, describing it as a requirement for accessing the first round of programme disbursements.
The UBEC boss urged education authorities in the South-East and South-South to apply the knowledge gained from the workshop to strengthen book distribution and improve learning outcomes.
The Federal Government said the initiative is aimed at improving access to basic learning materials and strengthening the foundation of education for millions of children in the two regions.
