AdvoKC awaits Tinubu’s assent to 5% UBEC allocation bill - Punch Newspapers

The AdvoKC Foundation has called for President Bola Tinubu’s assent to the Bill seeking to raise the Federal Government’s statutory allocation to the Universal Basic Education Commission from two to five per cent of the Consolidated Revenue Fund. The call followed the passage of the harmonised amendment Bill by the National Assembly and its transmission to the President for assent on July 30, 2026. The foundation, which has been tracking the legislative process through its PromiseTracker initiative, said the passage represented a significant step towards increasing funding for basic education, but noted that presidential assent was required before the proposed five per cent allocation could take effect. The harmonised amendment to Nigeria’s Universal Basic Education Act, which proposes raising the Federal Government’s statutory allocation to basic education from two per cent to five per cent of the Consolidated Revenue Fund, according to the Office of the Clerk to the National Assembly, was forwarded to the Presidency on July 30, 2026, after it had been passed and harmonised by both chambers. Communications Manager of AdvoKC Foundation, Luqman Adamu, said in a statement obtained by The PUNCH on Sunday that the confirmation followed inquiries by the civic accountability organisation’s tracking of legislative commitments through its PromiseTracker[dot]ng platform. In a letter dated August 31 and signed by the Director of Management in the Office of the Clerk to the National Assembly, Bello Babatunde, the Clerk’s office confirmed that the Bill had already been transmitted to the President. AdvoKC had initially written to the Clerk on July 29, urging the National Assembly to conclude the harmonisation and transmission of the legislation. The foundation said its intervention followed commitments by both the Senate and the House of Representatives to increase the federal allocation to UBEC from the existing two per cent to four per cent. The harmonised Bill ultimately settled on five per cent.See more Punch stories on Google.Add Punch on Google The Bill was transmitted to the President the following day, according to the Clerk’s confirmation. AdvoKC said it subsequently wrote another letter to the National Assembly on August 28 after it had not received formal confirmation that the Bill had been transmitted. Three days later, the Clerk’s office confirmed that the transmission had taken place nearly a month earlier. The proposed increase would alter the federal funding framework for basic education by increasing the statutory allocation available to UBEC. Reacting to the confirmation, the Project Director of AdvoKC Foundation, Habib Sheidu, said the proposed increase represented a significant development for the country’s basic education system. “This is a welcome development for Nigeria’s basic education sector. Foundation presses Tinubu on Federal Audit Service Bill 2027: Katsina votes for Tinubu non-negotiable – Minister Petrol subsidy: APC campaign council warns of smuggling, revenue losses “The harmonised Bill does not just meet the 4% both chambers promised in their legislative agendas; it exceeds it,” Sheidu said. He said the next priority was to secure presidential assent in time for the increased allocation to be reflected in the 2027 budget. “With over 18 million Nigerian children currently out of school, getting this Bill signed into law without further delay matters. “We are glad the Bill has already been transmitted, and we now urge Mr President to assent to it in good time for the increased allocation to be reflected in the 2027 budget,” Sheidu added. The proposed increase comes against the backdrop of persistent concerns over the scale of Nigeria’s basic education crisis, including the number of children outside the formal school system and inadequate infrastructure and learning resources in many public schools. Under the existing Universal Basic Education framework, the Federal Government provides a statutory contribution to UBEC from the Consolidated Revenue Fund, which is subsequently used to support basic education interventions across the states. The amendment would increase the federal contribution substantially if signed into law. The National Assembly’s decision to settle on five per cent also means the harmonised figure exceeds the four per cent allocation separately contained in the legislative agendas of both chambers, according to AdvoKC. The foundation said it had tracked the commitment through its Legislative Agenda Meter, which monitors promises made by lawmakers and follows their progress through the legislative process. It said the latest confirmation demonstrated the importance of tracking legislation beyond the point at which lawmakers announce or pass it. AdvoKC also noted that transmission of an approved Bill to the President is a statutory responsibility of the Clerk to the National Assembly. Under the Acts Authentication Act, the Clerk is responsible for authenticating Bills passed by the National Assembly and forwarding them to the President for assent. The foundation said its monitoring would now shift to the Presidency, particularly whether the proposed increase is reflected in the 2027 Appropriation Bill. “The Foundation will continue to monitor the Bill through to presidential assent,” it said, adding that it would also track the proposed five per cent allocation through the 2027 budget process. For now, the Bill has cleared the National Assembly and moved to the final constitutional stage before it can become law. Ayoola Babalola

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