By Usman Ibn A. Lapai
Kaduna
Civil Society Action Coalition on Education for All (CSACEFA), a non-governmental organisation based in Kaduna, has said it is training 60 monitors to track the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) intervention fund meant to execute projects in 30 schools in the state.
Policy Advisor of the NGO, Ms Chioma Osuji, told Blueprint during a three-day training in Kaduna that UBEC had between 2015 and June 2017 released more than N290 billion to states without much to show on the ground.
“Our mission is to engage the citizens on effective monitoring and tracking the utilisation of the funds in ensuring that every child has access to quality basic education.
“This is crucial because the community members have a stake in UBEC spending in their areas and as such, they need to carry them along to ensure sustainability.
“In most cases, projects are undertaken in communities without the knowledge of community members. There is the need to bridge the gap to get everyone on board,” She said.
Osuji explained that the training was designed to build the capacity of relevant stakeholders on how to engage the state’s Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) on the use of UBEC funds already disbursed.
She explained that the project, supported by MacArthur Foundation, would track the implementation of UBEC projects in 30 selected schools in Lere, Jaba and Kaduna North local government areas of the state.
Osuji said besides capacity building, the group was also engaging education Secretaries, School-Based Management Committee, SUBEB officials and Civil Society Organisations in a dialogue.
“After the training, we will carry out massive sensitisation at the community level and thereafter begin the tracking process starting with 2013/2014 projects,” she said.
