The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) has commenced training for its social mobilisation staff and the School-Based Management Committee (SBMC) desk officers of the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
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The UBEC is organising the 5-day workshop in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
The Executive Secretary, UBEC, Dr Hamid Bobboyi while declaring open the workshop on Tuesday in Calabar, said the training was designed to underscore the role of SBMC desk officers in promoting access to equitable, inclusive and quality education.
Boboyi, represented by the Director of Administration in UBEC, Rev. Edwin Jarumai, said the training was part of the commission’s strategies to ensure that the desk officers were supported and encouraged to discharge their duties effectively.
“I am convinced that at the end of the training, participant’s capacity would have been beefed up to repositioned more to undertake grassroots advocacy, sensitisation and mobilisation of the school’s immediate communities,” he said.
The executive secretary said also that after the workshop, the participant’s capacity would have been beefed up to forge linkages with other stakeholders in support of school enrolment, retention, amongst others.
He commended the training partner, UNICEF, for its financial support and unwavering readiness to assist basic education at all times.
Dr Stephen Odey, Executive Chairman,Cross River State Universal Basic Education Commission (SUBEB), thanked UBEC for choosing Calabar for the workshop.
Odey described the role of SBMC desk officers as crucial to the development of basic education in the country.
According to him, SBMC desk officers are at the forefront of tackling the problem of out-of-school children in Nigeria.
The Director of Social Mobilization, UBEC, Alhaji Bello Kagara, said the training had been designed to further strengthen capacity on SBMC implementation modalities and re-acquaint participants with newly revised operational documents.
He further stated that the focus of the training would be on the formation and functioning of school-based management committees to support the voice of women, child protection, inclusive education and change management.