The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) has emphasized the need for public relations and information officers to adopt innovation, professionalism, and strategic communication in promoting its interventions and improving public understanding of government investments in basic education. This call was made at the commission's 12th Annual Training Workshop for Public Relations and Information Officers of UBEC and State Universal Basic Education Boards (SUBEBs) from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Keffi, Nasarawa State.
Effective communication was identified as a strategic pillar of educational development, essential for ensuring that the achievements of government interventions are understood and appreciated by the public. According to UBEC's Executive Secretary, Dr. Aisha Garba, substantial progress has been recorded in school infrastructure development, teacher professional development, provision of instructional materials, and digital learning initiatives. However, the success of such interventions also depends on how effectively they are communicated to stakeholders.
The workshop aimed to strengthen the capacity of public relations officers in advocacy, media relations, stakeholder engagement, content development, digital communication, reputation management, and strategic information dissemination. Dr. Garba urged participants to be proactive, innovative, and responsive in discharging their responsibilities, particularly in the face of the growing influence of digital media and the challenges of misinformation.
The Acting Head of Corporate Communications at UBEC, Mrs. Kemi Abass, emphasized that the responsibility of public relations officers goes beyond issuing press releases, covering events, and posting activities on social media. She encouraged officers to move from routine publicity to proactive, strategic, and impact-driven communication capable of demonstrating how government interventions are improving teaching and learning outcomes.
UBEC is planning to establish a regular publicity bulletin, produce a documentary showcasing success stories across UBEC and SUBEBs, and launch a coordinated national digital campaign to improve awareness and visibility of basic education interventions. These initiatives aim to enhance the communication of government achievements in the basic education sector.
The Special Adviser to the Minister of Education on Media and Communications, Mr. Ikharo Attah, stressed the need for effective and timely communication to showcase the achievements of the Federal Government in the basic education sector. He acknowledged the progress recorded in school infrastructure development and emphasized that such achievements must be consistently communicated to the public.
The training program was declared open by the Chairman of Nasarawa State Universal Basic Education Board, Dr. Kassim Mohamed. The Dean of UBEC/SUBEB Public Relations Officers, Mr. Richard Nanpon Jonah, called for dedicated budgetary allocations for public relations activities across SUBEBs to enable officers to effectively communicate the impact of interventions in their respective states.
Key points
- UBEC trains public relations officers to improve communication on basic education interventions.
- Effective communication is essential for ensuring that government achievements in basic education are understood and appreciated by the public.
- UBEC plans to establish a regular publicity bulletin and launch a national digital campaign to enhance awareness and visibility of basic education interventions.
