Journal of Education in Developing Areas (JEDA) Vol. 19, No. 1.

ROAD MAP FOR THE REALIZATION OF THE MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOAL OF UNIVERSAL BASIC EDUCATION IN NIGERIA

By Professor Benjamin A. Eheazu, mnae Director, Nomadic Education Centre & Former Dean, Faculty of Education University of Port Harcourt

Abstract Nigeria is a signatory to the United Nations eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) the second of which (MDG 2) is Universal Primary /Basic Education. In reality, the countrys Universal Basic Education Programme (UBE) goes beyond the MDG 2 objective of ensuring that all boys and girls complete a full course of primary schooling and includes such other educational programmes as adult literacy education, non-formal skills development and apprenticeship training for out-of-school adolescents. So far, considerable achievements have been made, but there are still some constraints on the UBE Programme implementation process. This paper discusses the achievements and impediments and suggests the way forward to meet the 2015 target date for the realization of MDG 2 in Nigeria.

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Introduction In the context of the topic of this paper, the term road map is used here to refer to an identification of the way forward, highlighting milestones to be covered in the form of strategies to be adopted or adjustments to be effected for the achievement, by 2015, of the objectives of the UBE programme in Nigeria as determined by both national needs/vision and the United Nations Millennium Development Goal (MDG) No 2. The World Conference on Education For All (WCEFA) which was held in Jomtien, Thailand from 5th to 9th March, 1990 and which was attended by 155 countries and 150 organizations, has proved to be the start of a powerful movement rather than just another event, as it set a target of ten years to achieve Education for All (EFA) with the conviction that people everywhere have basic human aspirations and needs (WCEFA, 1990, Framework 8). The Jomtien movement was kept alive by the International Consultative Forum for Education for All (popularly referred to as the EFA Forum). The Forum organized a series of worldwide meetings at which EFA partners could discuss progress and matters of mutual concern. In April 2000, the forum met in Dakar, Senegal to assess the progress made during the Jomtien 10 year target and to renew the commitment to achieve Education for All (EFA) goals. The assessment by the WEFA which has been described as the most in-depth evaluation of basic education ever undertaken (Muller, 2000), was conducted in over 180 countries. The assessment took stock of the then current state of basic education and evaluated the progress made during the ten-year Jomtien target period. The assessment revealed that although some success had been recorded, much of the EFA targets remained to be achieved (see for instance, WEF Framework 5; DVV 2000). The World Education Forum (WEF) recommitted itself to a new target of achieving the EFA Goals within the Dakar Framework For Action (cf. WEF Framework 7; in DVV, 2000): In September 2000, 189 member states of the United Nations met and made a Declaration which set out an agenda for international policy in the 21st Century (millennium). The agenda laid down four interlinked areas for programmatic action that are subordinate to the overall goals of ensuring future global security as follows (Van de Sand, 2005; 69): www.jeda-uniport.com Page 1

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Peace, security and disarmament; Development and poverty reduction; Protection of the shared environment; Human rights, democracy and good governance. In order to put the Millennium Declaration into effect, a working group

composed of the UN, the World Bank, the OECD (organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) and other international organizations drew up a road map in 2001, which UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan, presented to the General Assembly in September of that year. The presentation contained a selection of eight internationally agreed goals set out in the chapter of the Declaration dealing with development and the environment in 21st Millennium. The eight Millennium Development Goals are broken down into 18 specific targets which can be measured by means of 48 indicators (United Nations, online). The goals selected are not intended to present a comprehensive vision of human development, but serve rather as a yardstick from which it can be seen how much progress the world is making towards realizing the balanced globalization that is called for in the Millennium Declaration (Van de Sand, 2005). The eight MDGs are designed to: Goal Goal Goal Goal Goal Goal Goal Goal 1: 2: 3: 4: 5: 6: 7: 8: Eradicate Extreme Poverty and Hunger Achieve Universal Primary Education Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women Reduce Child Mortality Improve maternal Health Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria and Other Diseases Ensure Environmental Sustainability Develop a Global Partnership for Development

The MDGs highlight the reduction of poverty as the overarching task, followed by the Achievement of Universal Primary Education, the main concern of this presentation, as Goal No. 2. This appears to be the convenient point to make some clarifications about the MDG No. 2. The Concept of Universal Basic Education It is noteworthy and should be pointed out ab initio, that from Jomtien (1990) through Dakar (2000) to the MDGs (2000), there has been no universal or global definition of Universal Basic Education. In the case of Jomtien, the focus was not

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on basic education as such but on basic learning needs. According to the Jomtien Conference (Amman Report, 1996:8): these needs comprise both essential learning tools such as literacy, oral expression, numeracy and problem solving and the basic learning content such as knowledge, skills, values and attitudes required by human beings to be able to survive, to develop their full capacities, to live and work in dignity, to participate fully in development, to improve the quality of their lives, to make informed decisions and to continue learning. As basic education has not been a clear cut generally accepted concept, the Jomtien Conference left it to countries themselves to specify what they understood by basic education in their specific contexts. In consequence, most, but not all countries took basic education to mean primary schooling, though to the movement of Education for All it means the right of all people everywhere to basic education, and education geared to all peoples needs and responsibilities as learners. The overriding purpose of the global movement of Education for All is no less than the achievement of a better life for all people, grounded in civilized values and human rights and responsibilities (Skilbeck, 2000:11). The focus of the Jomtien idea of Education for All was not on education systems but on learning, learning in its broadest sense, learning that takes place everywhere and at any stage of life or simply throughout life. However, following some pressures from stakeholders, Jomtien accepted that an expanded vision of basic education was needed which would surpass existing resource levels, institutional structures, curricula and conventional

delivery systems while building on the best current practices (WCEFA Declaration 2.1). Nonetheless, the fact that organized schooling provides, for most people, essential foundations for learning over the lifecycle, led to the identification of basic learning needs and primary schooling. The school curriculum was presumed to meet these needs. This identification began in Jomtien period. The Vision of Jomtien has, as the Mid-Decade Meeting of the EFA Forum in Amman noted, often been reduced to a simple emphasis upon putting more children into school (Amman Report, 1996: 9). The expanded vision of basic education later supported by Jomtien as indicated above was a result of an expanded negotiation process between the four www.jeda-uniport.com Page 3

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sponsors/organizers of WCEFA. While the World Banks focus was on primary education, UNESCO favoured a rather broad concept of (basic) education including adult education with literacy and non formal alternatives to schooling. UNICEF stressed the necessity to include early childhood education. UNDP had no particular point of view (Muller, 2000). Nevertheless, the expanded vision did not appear to have permeated the MDGs, hence the emphasis of Goal No. 2 is on Universal Primary Education to ensure that all boys and girls complete a full cause of primary schooling. The Nigerian Universal Basic Education (UBE) Programme: Scope, Objectives and Special Attributes The Nigerian Universal Basic Education Programme which was launched on 30 September, 1999 by the then president of the country, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, could be rightly described as a multifaceted programme which brings within its scope the following: 1. 2. programmes and initiatives for early childhood education and development; programmes and initiatives for the acquisition of functional literacy numeracy and life skills, especially for adults (persons aged 15 and above); special programmes for nomadic populations; out-of- school children, non-formal programmes for updating the knowledge and skills of persons who left before acquiring the basics needed for lifelong learning; non-formal skills for apprenticeship training for adolescents and youth who have not had the benefits of formal education; the formal school system from the beginning of primary education to the end of the junior secondary school. Accordingly, the objectives of the UBE progamme in Nigeria are as follows (UBE, Office, 2002:3): i. ii. iii. iv. developing in the entire citizenry a strong consciousness for education and a strong commitment to its vigorous promotion; the provision of free, universal basic education for every Nigerian child of school-going age; reducing drastically the incidence of drop-out from the formal school system (through improved relevance, quality and efficiency); catering for the learning needs of young persons who, for one reason or another, have had to interrupt their schooling through appropriate forms of complementary approaches to the provision and promotion of basic education and ensuring the acquisition of appropriate levels of literacy, numeracy, www.jeda-uniport.com Page 4

3. 4.

5. 6.

v.

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manipulative, communicative and life skills, as well as the ethical, moral and civic values needed for laying a solid foundation for life-long learning. Given its scope and objectives, Nigerias UBE Programme, could be seen to have the following attributes: 1. Inclusiveness, implying that persons in all manners and conditions of physical, spatial, and psychological existence will benefit from the programme; Special attention to special groups, implying that the special needs of all sectors of the population will be taken into account; Encouragement for the provision of facilities for early childhood education and development with due attention given to the needs of specific social groups and geographical zones of the country, bearing in mind the need to lay a solid foundation for life-long learning right from early childhood.

2. 3.

Structure of the Nigerian UBE Programme The management structure of the UBE programme is usually referred to as a model in co-operative and consultative federalism, involving all the three tiers of government with respective management responsibilities clearly stipulated in the UBE Information Brochure (UBE Office: 2000). Statutory Instruments and Provisions of the UBE Programme Two statutory documents legalize the establishment of the UBE programme; namely, The National Policy on Education and the UBE Act (2004). Section 3 of the National Policy on Education (Federal republic of Nigeria, 2004a:13) provides as follows: Basic education shall be of 9-years duration comprising 6 years of primary education and 3 years of junior secondary education. It shall be free and compulsory. It shall also include adult and non-formal education programmes at primary and junior secondary education levels for the adults and out-of school youths. The specific goals of basic education shall be the same as the goals of the levels of education to which it applies (i.e primary education, junior secondary education and adult and non-formal education). The UBE Act, on the other hand, provides a legal framework for the operation of a free, compulsory Universal Basic Education Programme in Nigeria. The Act interprets Universal Basic Education (Federal Republic of Nigeria, 2004b:A121) as early childhood care and education, the nine years of formal www.jeda-uniport.com Page 5

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programmes and the education of special groups such as nomads and migrants, girl-child and women, almajiri, street children and disabled groups. The UBE

Act also provides for the establishment of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) with an Executive Secretary to Head the Commission and a Governing Board to oversee the Commissions performance of its functions as articulated in the Act (Federal Republic of Nigeria, 2004b: A 117 A118):

Nigerias Universal Basic Education as a Millennium Development Goal In the light of the objectives of the UBE programme in Nigeria (stated in the Act referred to above) and those of the MDGs, it is obvious that, statutorily, Nigeras UBE programme goes beyond the achievement of Universal Primary Education (MDG No 2) and includes the acquisition of the Junior secondary school

education. In its all inclusive stance, Nigerias UBE Programme also includes aspects of MDGs 1, 3 and 6. To illustrate, in its Annual Report (2002), the UBE Office (2002:34) noted that in its third year of existence, its department of social mobilization completed the following HIV/AIDS (MDGs) activities: Production of sample HIV/AIDS posters; Critique meeting on HIV/AIDS posters; Master trainers workshop on HIV/AIDS awareness campaign; Bidding for HIV/AIDS posters. Again, addressing newsmen in Abuja at a meeting of the 4th High Level Policy Committee on development of the nine-year basic education curriculum, the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) is reported to have stated as follows (This Day, April 5, 2006;48): the new (nine-year basic education) curriculum, which comes into effect the next academic session (2006/2007), focuses on strategic contents for the achievement of the countrys reform initiatives in value orientation, poverty eradication, wealth generation and job creation (MDG 1). The nine-year basic education structure, comprising lower basic (primary 1-3), middle basic (primary 4-6) and upper basic (JSS 1-3) which integrates the primary and Junior Secondary Schools (JSS) into a continuous system of schooling, was adopted by the Federal Government in response to the global www.jeda-uniport.com Page 6

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Progress/Achievements made in the UBE Programme Some indications of progress in the UBE programme are noteworthy here. According to the Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), by 2006 (7 years after the inception of the UBE), progress had been made in the following spheres ( Daily Sun, June 13, 2006:21): The NERDC developed curricula for primary and junior secondary schools incorporating, Basic Technology and entrepreneurial skills; Primary school enrolment which was about 12 million in 1999, rose to 21 million by September, 2005. Again, 24 million children were registered in the Junior secondary school that same year. These increases came as a result of the enrolment drive undertaken by the UBEC. Furthermore, UBEC Annual Reports (2001, 2002 & 2005) have

documented the following among other achievements: * Construction and equipment of thousands of classrooms, head teachers offices, stores and VIP toilets; general acceptance of the UBE programme arising from consultations with State Governors and Local Government Chairmen; Training of over 50,000 additional teachers for the UBE programme through the Pivotal Teacher Training Programme (PTTP) at the National Teachers Institute (NTI) Kaduna. Training of teachers in many States on the Effective use of English Language across the Basic Education Curriculum (Basic Classes 4-6).

Constraints on the UBE Programme A number of major constraints have been identified in the implementation of the UBE programme. These include: variations in the pace and extent of

implementation at the state level. In 2006, the Executive Secretary of UBEC was reported as acknowledging the constraints in the following words (Daily Sun, June 13, 2006:21): In the design for implementation, we have given allowance for three years for states to adjust properly. So by September 2009, we expect every state of the federation to move fully towards the implementation of the UBE programme. What this allowance means is that by 2009 (nine years after the inception of the UBE programme and six years to 2015 (the target date of the MDGs), some states in the federation might just be queuing in for the UBE www.jeda-uniport.com Page 7

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Another, major constraint in the implementation of the UBE programme in Nigeria is paucity of funds. States and Local Governments need adequate funds to discharge the statutory functions assigned to them in relation to the UBE programme. As the UBE Executive Secretary has pointed out (Daily Sun, June 13, 2006:21). The states need money to do a number of things construct classrooms, provide furniture, train teachers, provide instructional materials in both primary and junior secondary schools and other service centres. Furthermore, the monitoring and evaluation department of the UBE has a number of constraints bordering mainly on inadequate numbers of staff and transport. This key department of the UBE programme obviously needs ample capacity and equipment to enhance its efficiency. Apparent concentration on the nine-year (primary and junior secondary) aspects of the UBE programme is another major constraint to the realization of other aspects of the all inclusive programme, such as early childhood education, nomadic education, mass literacy and so on. The Way Forward: Road Map for Arrival at the 2015 target of the MDG 2 Nigerias multifaceted UBE programme which covers and indeed goes beyond MDG 2 (ensuring that all boys and girls complete a full course of primary schooling) is indeed an ambitious but important programme in the light of the educational needs of the identified beneficiaries. All the same, the programme poses enormous challenges, especially in the areas of funding and creation of a sound policy environment. Fortunately, the Federal Government has been making appreciable attempts to respond to these two major challenges. For instance, the 2008 national budget earmarked, for the UBE programme, N39.7 billion (as against N35.3 billion in 2007) or 13% of the total budget for Ministries, Departments and Agencies. This was somewhat encouraging as the extra budget approval was outside the education budget of N210.45 billion. Again, regarding the creation of the necessary policy environment, it is elating to note that Reform of the Education Sector to improve skills and enhance standards was part of late President Umaru Musa YarAduas 7 point Agenda for the Governance of Nigeria. Considering the achievements and constraints of the UBE so far in the Page 8

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light of declared objectives and the target date of 2015 (four years from now (2011), a number of milestones would need to be attained, for the realization of the UBE in Nigeria as an MDG. These should include: 1. Enactment of enabling bye laws and instrument to ensure effective linkages among the three tiers of government that handle the nineyear formal UBE programme. There is also need to harmonize federal/state/local government inputs; Strict implementation of the provisions and interpretations of the UBE Act, in relation to the fee-free and compulsory components of the UBE programme as well as the concomitant sanctions for defaulters. This will discourage non registration, truancy/absenteeism among the school age children; Clearly defined roles and funding provisions for the UBE supportive institutions (e.g. NTI, NCNE, NMEC) that are expected to take charge of pre-primary education, teacher training, education of nomads, mass literacy and so on; Genuine partnerships with civil society, the private sector and international partners to enhance funding and capacity building in the areas of education planning, data management, teacher knowledge and skills enhancement; Periodic stock-taking of achievements and lulls in the various components of the UBE programme in order to regularly review priorities and readjust strategies of implementation; Annual production and publication of statistical information on the Basic Education Programme to provide opportunity for assessments and inputs from the Nigerian citizenry and international donor organizations; With the countrys endorsement of the Action Plan for EFA; MDGs and the NEPAD (New Partnership for African Development) documents, Nigeria should further her case for qualification for the Fast Track Initiative (FTI) of the donor partners. This may help to boost Nigerians funding resources for the UBE.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

Summary and Conclusion Nigeria is a signatory to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) one of which is Universal Primary/Basic Education. Nigerias Universal Basic Education (UBE) Programme goes beyond completion of primary schooling by all boys and girls by the year 2015. It incorporates inter alia, early childhood education and development, functional literacy, special programmes for nomadic populations, non-formal education programmes for out-of-school children, non-formal skills and apprenticeship training for adolescents and youths who have not had the www.jeda-uniport.com Page 9

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benefit of formal education, and the formal school system from the beginning of primary education to the end of the junior secondary school. The UBE programme in Nigeria is a product of the countrys past experiences and the educational/learning needs of various segments of the countrys large population. It is also an off shoot of Nigerias efforts to uphold her commitment to the promotion of basic education for all as required by a number of covenants and protocols to which the country is a signatory. Since its launching in September 1999, the UBE programme has experienced a tripartite implementation, involving the Federal, State and Local Governments in the country. Some achievements have been recorded in the areas of increase in enrolments at primary and junior secondary school levels, curricular adjustments that promote development of scientific and technological skills as well as entrepreneurial know-how among the Nigerian Youth. Many teachers have been retrained and many have been employed. These achievements notwithstanding, there are some notable constraints experienced by the UBE programme in its eleven years of existence. The constraints which include inadequate funding have been articulated in this presentation. In view of the level of achievements so far, the constraints experienced, vis-a-vis the objectives of the UBE Programme, a road map has been outlined here showing milestones that need to be covered in the effort to attain full achievement of declared objectives in 2015, that is, about four years from now. By way of conclusion, it is the writers hope that with diligent response to the obvious challenges that may be experienced in the coverage of the highlighted milestones, much would be achieved in the implementation of the UBE programme in Nigeria, as a Millennium Development Goal, by the year 2015. REFERENCES Amman Report (Jomtien of the Mid Decade Meeting of the International Consultative Forum on EFA, Amman, Jordan. (1996), Final Report; Paris: UNESCO EFA Forum Secretariat. Daily Sun, Thursday, June 13, 2006, p. 21. DVV (Institute for International Co-operation of the German Adult Education Association) (2000), The Dakar Framework for Action Adult Education and Development; No. 55 pp. 19 27 www.jeda-uniport.com Page 10

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Federal Republic of Nigeria (2004a), National Policy on Education (4th Edition) Yaba, Lagos: NERDC Press. Federal Republic of Nigeria (2004b), Compulsory, Free Universal Basic Education Act 2004, Official Gazette No. 66, Vol. 91, A 113 A124; August; Lagos: The Federal Government Press. Muller, J. (2000), From Jomtien to Dakar: Meeting Basic Needs of Whom?, Adult Education and Development; No. 55, Pp. 29-58. Skilbeck, M. (2000), Education for All Global Synthesis (EFA International Consultative Forum Documents); Paris: UNESCO. This Day, Wednesday, April 5, 2006, P. 48. UBE office (2000), Information on UBE; Abuja: UBE publications office. United Nations, online: www.un.org/millenniumgoals/index.shtml Van De Sand, K. (2005), The Challenges of MDGs Facing German Development Policy; Adult Education and Development; No. 65, Pp. 69 77. WCEFA ( World Conference on Education For All, Jomtien, Thailand) (1990), World Declaration on Education For All and Framework for Action to Meet Basic Learning Needs; New York: Inter-Agency Commission, UNICEF House; April. WEFA ( World Education Forum, Dakar Senegal) (2000), The Dakar Framework for Action: Education for All, Meeting our Collective Commitments; www.unesco.org/wef/en-leadup/dakfram.shtm

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