The Executive Secretary, Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Dr. Hamid Bobboyi and the World Bank Senior Director in charge of education, Mr. Marcela Gutiemez have pledged the commitment of their organizations to improved education service delivery in Nigeria.
Dr. Bobboyi and Mr. Gutiemez expressed this commitment during their interactions on the occasion of the courtesy visit to UBEC by the World Bank Education team recently in Abuja. Mr. Gutiemez who is in Nigeria as part of efforts towards engaging with education stakeholders for the improvement of World Bank interventions in the education sector, informed members of UBEC Management that he visited the Commission with a view to exchanging and sharing ideas that will fast track the implementation of the Bank’s projects in the education sector. Speaking further, Gutiemez commended UBEC for its achievements and renewed efforts towards improving UBE delivery services in Nigeria and harped on the need to refocus attention on Technical and Vocational Education (TVET) and other critical areas that have direct bearing on quality and improved results in the sub-sector.
UBEC Executive Secretary on his part appreciated the visiting Senior Director for finding time to interact with officials of the Commission and expressed optimism that his visit will further cement the already existing cordial relationship with the Bank. He further expressed the conviction that with the World Bank’s support UBEC will be able to overcome the various challenges that it faces in the discharge of its mandate.
Mr. Gutiemez’s visit to Nigeria among others, took him to some educational institutions and stakeholders in the FCT, Kano, Lagos and Ogun State where he held consultations with government functionaries, traditional rulers, administrators of the education system, private providers of education services, students and even vulnerable groups in Internally Displaced People (IDP) camps. Mr. Gutiemez was accompanied on this visit by Dina Abu-Gaida, Senior Education Specialist and Task Team Leader, Basic Education Service Delivery for All (BESDA), Dr. Tunde Adekola, Education Specialist and other key officials of the World Bank country office, Abuja, Nigeria.
