The Benue State Universal Basic Education Board, SUBEB, Thursday held a sensitization meeting with Social Mobilization Officers (SMOS), Education Secretaries, and other stakeholders in the Basic Education sector on implementation of the 2019 School Based Management Committee – School Improvement Programme (SBMC-SIP) projects in the state.
Addressing participants during the meeting at SUBEB headquarters in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, Executive Chairman of the Board, Comrade Joseph Utse described the reintroduction of Community Self-help Projects through the SBMCs by the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) as a welcome development as he was optimistic that it would improve school infrastructure, teachers and pupils furniture amongst other projects.
According to the Executive Chairman, the 52nd meeting of National Council on Education (NCE) held in 2006 approved the establishment of SBMCs in Basic Schools across Nigeria and as a result, every Primary and UBE Junior Secondary School in Benue State has functional SBMCs.
Comrade Utse commended International Development Partners like UNICEF, DFID, UKAID and others for supporting Basic Education in Benue state and for working with SBMCs in all states of the federation. He also appreciated the untiring support of the Federal Government through UBEC and the Benue State Government under Governor Samuel Ortom towards improving Basic Education in the state.
Earlier in a welcome address, SUBEB Director of Social Mobilization, Mr Emmanuel Ejeh disclosed that, with the 2017/2018 intervention funds, Benue State Government was able to execute seventy-one (71) projects including the construction of 65 classroom blocks, renovation of 47 classrooms, provision of 420 teachers/pupils furniture, construction of 6 toilets, 7 stores and 22 offices.
He traced that the SBMC-SIP started as Self-help projects in Benue State called Partnership Improvement on Primary Education ( PIPE) which later became World Bank Assisted Community self-help programme. He said, when World Bank discontinued the programme in 2004, UBEC took over as Community self-help Initiated Projects under UBE/Federal Government Education Imbalance Intervention Funds for all SUBEBs across Nigeria and upon its suspension in 2011, the programme was revived and code named “SBMC-SIP”.
Mr Ejeh thanked UBEC and SUBEB for ensuring the success of SBMC-SIP programme in Benue State.
The Permanent Member 2 Hon. Ahubi Johnson in a vote of thanks appreciated UBEC for her support to Basic Education in the State and thanked the Benue State Government for ensuring that the Benue Child gets Basic Education and facilities.
In a remark, Education Secretary, Gwer West Local Government, Mr Kenneth Adeke who lauded the efforts of UBEC and SUBEB described the SBMC-SIP programme as a welcome development.
