The National Assembly of Nigeria has confirmed that a bill aimed at increasing the country's federal funding for basic education has been transmitted to President Bola Tinubu for assent. The bill, known as the Compulsory, Free Universal Basic Education Act (Amendment) Bill, seeks to raise the statutory funding for basic education from 2% to 5% of the Consolidated Revenue Fund. This development was confirmed in a letter from the Office of the Clerk to the National Assembly to AdvoKC Foundation, a civic accountability organisation.
The harmonised bill was forwarded to the President on July 30, 2026, after the Senate and House of Representatives reconciled their separate versions of the legislation. The two chambers had earlier passed different versions of the bill, with the House proposing a 4% increase and the Senate approving 5%. The confirmation of the transmission has prompted AdvoKC Foundation to urge President Tinubu to assent to the bill in time for the proposed increase to be reflected in the 2027 budget.
The existing Universal Basic Education Act provides for 2% of the Federal Government's Consolidated Revenue Fund to support implementation of the UBE programme. AdvoKC Foundation had been tracking the legislation and had written to the Clerk on July 29, urging the National Assembly to expedite the harmonisation and transmission of the bill. The organisation had also sent another letter on August 28 after receiving no formal acknowledgement that the legislation had been transmitted.
The Clerk's office responded on August 31, confirming that the harmonised bill had been transmitted to the Presidency a month earlier. According to the letter, signed by Director, Management, Office of the Clerk to the National Assembly, Dr Bello Babatunde, the bill was forwarded to the President on July 30. This development has been described as significant for Nigeria's basic education sector.
Project Director of AdvoKC Foundation, Habib Sheidu, has urged President Tinubu to act on the legislation without further delay. He described the development as a welcome development for Nigeria's basic education sector, saying that the harmonised bill exceeds the 4% increase contained in the legislative commitments. Sheidu also noted that with over 18 million Nigerian children currently out of school, getting the bill signed into law matters.
The amendment, if signed into law, would raise the statutory federal intervention for universal basic education by 150% over the existing 2% provision. Beyond the funding increase, the legislation also seeks to broaden the scope of free and compulsory education to include senior secondary education. AdvoKC Foundation said it would continue to track the legislation through the presidential assent stage and monitor whether the proposed 5% allocation is reflected in the 2027 Appropriation Bill.
AdvoKC Foundation's call for President Tinubu to assent to the bill is driven by the need to address the country's out-of-school children. The organisation believes that the increased allocation will make a significant impact on the basic education sector. If assented to, the bill will ensure that more funds are available for the implementation of the UBE programme, which is critical to addressing the challenges facing the sector.
Key points
- The National Assembly has transmitted a bill to President Bola Tinubu that would increase federal funding for basic education from 2% to 5% of the Consolidated Revenue Fund.
- The bill seeks to raise the statutory federal intervention for universal basic education by 150% over the existing 2% provision.
- The legislation also seeks to broaden the scope of free and compulsory education to include senior secondary education.
