Stakeholders Hail Tinubu’s Bold Move in Appointing UBEC Chief Aisha Garba, Lauded for Breaking 20-Year Barrier in Education
Stakeholders Applaud Tinubu Over Aisha Garba’s Transformative UBEC Leadership
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has received wide commendation from education stakeholders following his appointment of Dr. Aisha Garba as the Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC).
In a joint statement on Monday, August 4, 2025, by the Education and Tech Coalition of Activists and Social Entrepreneurs, co-chairs Olaonipekun Kazeem and Olamide Apejoye applauded the President’s decisive action, noting it reflects his commitment to fixing Nigeria’s basic education system.
The coalition credited Dr. Garba, formerly of the World Bank, for spearheading critical reforms that have brought over 3 million out-of-school children back into classrooms and enabled access to UBEC matching grants by removing a two-decade-old bureaucratic hurdle.
Popular commentator JJ Omojuwa also praised her on X (formerly Twitter), highlighting that UBEC, under Garba’s leadership, has distributed 6 million books and 500,000 library materials nationwide. He emphasized the shift in UBEC’s role—from gatekeeper to genuine partner with state governments.
Social media users echoed the sentiment. “No noise, just results,” posted @HighChiefOkoro. Another user, @MaziNnaEmeka, said, “She’s breaking 20-year barriers and giving hope to millions.”
Garba, who previously managed a $3B education portfolio across Africa, is now seen as a driving force in transforming Nigeria’s basic education landscape—just months into her role.
