On Thursday, June 4, 2026, a legislative milestone aimed at tackling Nigeria’s out-of-school children crisis progressed significantly, as the Senate passed the Compulsory Free Universal Basic Education Act (Amendment) Bill, 2025, scaled third reading.
The piece of legislation is jointly sponsored by Senator Idiat Oluranti Adebule and Senator Adamu Lawal. The bill’s passage during the plenary session marks a critical step forward in the upper chamber’s commitment to restructuring the nation’s foundational education framework.
The amendment seeks to overhaul the existing legal framework of the Universal Basic Education (UBE) Commission to address long-standing gaps in early academic development. If enacted, the revised law will introduce stringent mechanisms to bolster basic education compliance across all states, heavily increase federal and state funding allocations specifically for primary schools, and formally integrate early childhood education into the core funding matrix.
When it is finally assented to by the President and Commander in Chief, His Excellency, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu (GCFR), it will strengthen the Universal Basic Education, increase funding for primary schools and early childhood education and reduce the undesirable situation of out-of-school children.
Senator Idiat Oluranti Adebule
By securing robust financial commitments, the sponsors aim to dramatically expand classroom capacity, improve learning infrastructure, and directly reduce the swelling numbers of out-of-school children across Nigeria.
