The Federal Ministry of Education has strongly condemned what it described as a “sponsored smear campaign” targeting the Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Aisha Garba.

In an official statement released on Tuesday, the Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, said the Ministry’s attention had been drawn to “libellous” media reports circulated by an unknown group operating under the name: Education Rights Activists Coalition (ERAC).

The group had accused Garba of administrative misconduct and disregard for the rule of law—claims the Ministry has dismissed as “baseless, misleading, and malicious.”

Dr Alausa described the attacks as a deliberate attempt by “disgruntled individuals” to derail the ongoing reform agenda in basic education under Garba’s leadership.

“Aisha Garba is an internationally recognised education expert with over 24 years of experience, including 15 years at the World Bank. She has brought integrity, competence, and global best practices to UBEC,” he said.

According to the Ministry, Garba’s tenure has seen major strides in access, equity, and quality of basic education. UBEC has constructed nearly 5,000 classrooms, renovated over 3,000, and established nationwide Early Childhood Care and Development centres.

More than five million textbooks and over 350,000 units of school furniture have also been distributed.

In the area of teacher training, over 147,000 educators have been trained in modern teaching methods, and nearly 978,800 have benefitted from Nigeria’s largest-ever Teacher Professional Development initiative.

A major curriculum overhaul to embed digital literacy and entrepreneurship is also underway in partnership with the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC).

The Ministry also noted that reforms introduced under Garba’s leadership have improved the utilisation of the Basic Education Action Plan (BEAP) and the Matching Grant Formula, with ₦78.6 billion accessed by 28 states and the FCT in 2024 alone.

Institutional partnerships have also been strengthened with major development partners, including the World Bank, UNICEF, KOICA, the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), and the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).

Over 15,000 community projects have been implemented through the School-Based Management Committee–School Improvement Programme.

The Education Ministry reaffirmed that no financial infractions or breaches have been recorded under Garba’s leadership, and urged the public to disregard what it called “orchestrated falsehoods.”

Dr. Alausa therefore noted that it was disheartening that some subversive forces, threatened by Aisha Garba’s bold and transparent leadership, have resorted to sponsoring a smear campaign in an attempt to derail the gains of the Renewed Hope Agenda in the education sector.

“Their efforts are futile and will not succeed. The Ministry strongly condemns this orchestrated attack and urges the public to disregard these fabrications in their entirety.

“We stand firmly with Aisha Garba as she continues her transformational work to deliver quality, safe, and inclusive basic education to Nigerian children,” Dr Alausa said.

Similarly, President Bola Tinubu received praise for appointing Aisha Garba as Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), as her reforms continue to gain traction nationwide.

In a joint statement, the Education and Tech Coalition of Activists and Social Entrepreneurs applauded Tinubu’s decision to bring Garba from the World Bank, saying it demonstrated the administration’s commitment to education reform.

“UBEC under the leadership of Aisha Garba has implemented reforms that have directly impacted basic education across the country. Out-of-school children are getting back in classrooms… Her leadership has improved the quality of education through upgraded learning tools and teaching,” the coalition stated.

Also, JJ Omojuwa, founder of Alpha Reach, took to X to highlight Garba’s efforts in dismantling bureaucratic bottlenecks. “For two decades, an ordinary document created a stumbling block for states to access matching grants. Aisha changed that!”

Omojuwa added that her reforms led to over 60% fund utilisation, the distribution of 6 million books, and improved access for about 3 million children. “States now feel more like partners in education development with the FG, all thanks to reforms led by Aisha Garba,” he said.

He also noted her extensive experience managing a $3 billion portfolio at the World Bank, spanning Nigeria, Kenya, Somalia, Ghana, and more.

Social media users echoed the praise. Mazi NnaEmeka wrote, “She didn’t come in to play politics, she came in to work, and she’s already breaking 20-year barriers.” Another user, HighChiefOkoro, posted, “No noise, just results. @AishaMGarba is proving that with the right competence and vision, even the most rigid systems can be reformed.”

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