An Assessment of the Challenges Facing the Implementation of Universal Basic Education (UBE) Programme in Taraba State

References

[1] T. O. Adeyemi and I. A. Ajayi, “Regional disparities in Universal Basic Education implementation in Northern Nigeria,” Journal of Educational Policy and Administration, vol. 14, no. 3, pp. 45–67, 2022.

[2] I. A. Ajayi and T. O. Adeyemi, “Teacher quality and learning outcomes in Nigerian primary schools,” African Education Review, vol. 19, no. 2, pp. 112–135, 2024.

[3] A. V. Akinfolarin and G. B. Ehinola, “Local government capacity and UBE implementation: A study of selected LGAs in Taraba State,” Nigerian Journal of Educational Administration, vol. 18, no. 1, pp. 34–52, 2021.

[4] A. V. Akinfolarin and B. Ogunyemi, “Political economy of education funding in Nigeria's federal system,” Journal of African Governance and Development, vol. 9, no. 4, pp. 78–101, 2020.

[5] V. Akinfolarin and B. Ogunyemi, “Community participation and school retention: Evidence from South-West Nigeria,” International Journal of Educational Development, vol. 92, no. 5, pp. 102–118, 2022.

[6] V. Akinfolarin and B. Ogunyemi, “School-Based Management Committees and educational outcomes in rural Nigeria,” African Journal of Educational Research, vol. 25, no. 1, pp. 56–78, 2023.

[7] J. Alheri, “Ethno-religious diversity and educational access in Taraba State, Nigeria,” Studies in Conflict and Peace, vol. 11, no. 2, pp. 89–110, 2023.

[8] Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED), Nigeria security report: 2020-2024. ACLED Publications, 2024.

[9] D. Carment, S. Prest, and Y. Samy, State fragility and development: A contemporary reassessment. Routledge, 2021.

[10] E. Edward, J. Moses, and U. M. Ogbonnaya, “Geopolitical marginalization and development disparities in Nigeria's North-East,” African Journal of Political Science, vol. 19, no. 3, pp. 56–81, 2022.

[11] E. Edward, U. M. Ogbonnaya, and C. Nwangwu, “State fragility and service delivery in Nigeria's peripheral regions,” Journal of Contemporary African Studies, vol. 42, no. 1, pp. 34–58, 2024.

[12] Ejiofor, “Conflict-induced educational disruption in Northern Nigeria: Patterns and consequences,” Institute for Security Studies Monograph Series, vol. 52, no. 4, pp. 1–28, 2023.

[13] Ejiofor and A. C. Okoli, “School safety in conflict zones: Nigeria's missing strategy,” African Security Review, vol. 33, no. 1, pp. 45–67, 2024.

[14] Federal Republic of Nigeria, Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended). Government Printer, 1999. National Library of Nigeria

[15] Federal Republic of Nigeria, Universal Basic Education Act (as amended). Government Printer, 2004. UBEC

[16] I. Musa and A. Ibrahim, “Cultural barriers to girls' education in rural Taraba,” Gender and Education, vol. 35, no. 4, pp. 412–435, 2023.

[17] Musa and A. Ibrahim, “Security perceptions and school enrollment decisions in conflict-affected Nigerian LGAs,” International Journal of Educational Research, vol. 124, no. 2, pp. 78–96, 2024.

[18] National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Multidimensional poverty index survey: State and LGA results. Federal Republic of Nigeria, 2024.

[19] Nwangwu, “Elite capture and educational resource allocation in Nigeria's federal system,” African Affairs, vol. 122, no. 487, pp. 234–261, 2023.

[20] P. Obanya, The politics and challenges of Universal Basic Education in Nigeria. HEBN Publishers, 2011.

[21] U. M. Ogbonnaya, “School-Based Management Committees in Nigeria: Performance, challenges, and prospects,” Journal of Educational Administration, vol. 62, no. 2, pp. 189–212, 2024.

[22] U. M. Ogbonnaya and I. Nwankwo, “Governance deficits and policy implementation in Nigeria's educational sector,” Nigerian Journal of Social and Economic Research, vol. 23, no. 1, pp. 67–89, 2021.

[23] U. M. Ogbonnaya and I. Nwankwo, “Conflict displacement and educational access in North-East Nigeria,” Journal of Refugee Studies, vol. 36, no. 3, pp. 456–482, 2023.

[24] S. Oyewole, “Teacher posting policies and rural-urban disparities in Nigeria,” Teaching and Teacher Education, vol. 125, no. 4, pp. 104–128, 2023.

[25] S. Oyewole and B. Ogunyemi, “The hidden costs of free primary education in Nigeria,” Economics of Education Review, vol. 98, no. 5, pp. 102–125, 2024.

[26] R. I. Rotberg, State failure and state weakness in a time of terror. Brookings Institution Press, 2003. Brookings Institution

[27] P. Sabatier and D. Mazmanian, “The implementation of public policy: A framework of analysis,” Policy Studies Journal, vol. 8, no. 4, pp. 538–560, 1980. Wiley

[28] Taraba State Ministry of Education, Annual education statistics report: 2023/2024. Government of Taraba State, 2024.

[29] Taraba State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Teacher deployment and qualification audit. SUBEB Publications, 2024.

[30] J. Taru and D. Enamhe, “Local government areas and the crisis of primary education in rural Taraba,” Journal of Education and Development, vol. 15, no. 2, pp. 88–112, 2022.

[31] UNESCO, Global Education Monitoring Report 2022: Gender and education. UNESCO Publishing, 2022.

[32] UNESCO, Global Education Monitoring Report 2023: Technology in education. UNESCO Publishing, 2023. UNESCO

[33] UNESCO, Global Education Monitoring Report 2024: Leadership in education. UNESCO Publishing, 2024.

[34] Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), UBE implementation guidelines (revised edition). UBEC Press, 2020.

[35] Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Annual performance report: UBE programme 2023/2024. UBEC Publications, 2024.

[36] S. Van Meter and C. E. Van Horn, “The policy implementation process: A conceptual framework,” Administration & Society, vol. 6, no. 4, pp. 445–488, 1975. SAGE

[37] World Bank, Nigeria development update: Education and economic recovery. World Bank Group, 2022.

[38] World Bank, The learning crisis in Sub-Saharan Africa: Diagnoses and solutions. World Bank Group, 2023.

[39] World Bank, Rural education spending in Nigeria's North-East: A disparity analysis. World Bank Publications, 2024.

@article{1723498,
      author = {Mai-lafia Samaila Jerry, Prof. Asaju Kayode, Dr. Danladi Hussaini},
      title = {An Assessment of the Challenges Facing the Implementation of Universal Basic Education (UBE) Programme in Taraba State},
      journal = {Iconic Research And Engineering Journals},
      year = {2026},
      volume = {10},
      number = {3},
      pages = {3485-3496},
      issn = {2456-8880},
      url = {https://www.irejournals.com/formatedpaper/1723498.pdf},
      abstract = {This study assessed the major challenges facing the implementation of the Universal Basic Education (UBE) programme in Taraba State, with particular attention to Jalingo and Takum Local Government Areas. The study was motivated by persistent disparities in access, retention, teacher availability and qualification, school infrastructure, community participation, and educational service delivery despite the national commitment to free and compulsory basic education. A descriptive qualitative design was adopted, drawing on interviews, focus group discussions, direct school observations, and secondary evidence from UBEC, the Taraba State Ministry of Education, SUBEB, NBS, UNESCO, the World Bank, and relevant academic studies. The analysis identified inadequate and uneven funding, weak resource utilisation, shortages and uneven deployment of qualified teachers, poor infrastructure, insecurity, household poverty, weak local governance, inadequate monitoring and accountability, and ineffective School-Based Management Committees as interconnected challenges. These constraints reinforce one another, particularly in conflict-affected and economically disadvantaged communities, where insecurity disrupts attendance and teacher deployment, poverty increases dropout and child labour, and weak institutional capacity limits effective resource utilisation. The study concludes that UBE implementation challenges in Taraba State are primarily linked to implementation capacity, equitable resource distribution, security, and context-sensitive governance. It recommends needs-based funding, improved teacher recruitment and rural incentives, school rehabilitation, conflict-sensitive planning, stronger SBMCs, social protection for vulnerable households, and transparent monitoring of UBE projects and funds.},
      keywords = {Universal Basic Education, UBE Implementation, Educational Challenges, Taraba State, Teacher Shortage, Insecurity, Poverty, School Infrastructure.},
      month = {September},
  }