Girls Who Drop Out Of School Deserve Second Chance – UBEC

…as Commission rehabilitates Alternative High School for girls in Lagos

The Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Dr. Aisha Garba has said girls who were forced to discontinue their education because of difficult circumstances should not be written off but given another chance.

Garba said such girls, including young mothers and those whose education had been disrupted by conflict, displacement or other challenges, deserved another opportunity to return to school and build productive futures.

The UBEC boss, who spoke in Lagos during the formal commissioning of the rehabilitated Alternative High School for Girls, Agboju, described the institution as an avenue for providing a second chance to girls and young women who had been unable to complete their education.

According to her, circumstances surrounding a child’s life should not become a permanent barrier to acquiring education.

She said: A girl who dropped out of school should not be regarded as a lost cause, while a young mother seeking to return to school should not be told that her time had passed.”

Garba added that alternative education pathways were essential to ensuring that children and young women who had fallen out of the conventional school system could still acquire knowledge and skills necessary to become self-reliant.

“A girl whose circumstances prevented her from completing her education should be given another opportunity.

“Every child deserves an alternative pathway to acquire the education they deserve to succeed in life,” she added.

According to her, the Agboju school was established to help girls return to learning, acquire relevant skills and regain confidence after their education had been interrupted.

She urged stakeholders to ensure that the facility becomes more than a conventional learning environment by creating an atmosphere where students can rebuild their aspirations.

“Let this not simply be a place where girls attend classes. Let it be a place where hope is restored, confidence is built and future is renewed.”

The rehabilitation was supported by UBEC through its UBE direct intervention programme.

Garba said the project reflected the Commission’s commitment to inclusive education, noting that the intervention covered several areas necessary to create a conducive environment for learning and skills development.

These included rehabilitation of school infrastructure, provision of furniture for pupils, teachers and school managers, ICT equipment, laboratory and vocational equipment, WASH facilities and environmental improvements.

“We believe that investment in education should be visible, not only in figures and reports, but in the classrooms where children learn, in the facilities they use and, most importantly, in the lives they are able to transform.”

She said UBEC had formally handed over the rehabilitated school to the Lagos State Government, charging the state authorities to preserve the facilities and ensure that the institution continued to serve its intended purpose.

Garba disclosed that the second Alternative High School for Girls, located in Ikorodu, was at an advanced stage of completion.

According to her, the Ikorodu project would further widen access to alternative education for girls and young women who need opportunities to return to school.

She also announced that UBEC would provide a school bus and digital smart boards for classrooms at the Agboju school before the end of 2026.

Garba said, however, that the success of the intervention should ultimately be judged by its impact on the girls rather than the physical appearance of the renovated school.

“The true measure of our success will be the girl who walks through these gates and discovers that she still has a future.

“It will be the girl who acquires a skill, finds employment, starts a business or becomes a leader in her community. That is why this investment matters,” Garba said.

Speaking further, the UBEC boss commended President Bola Tinubu for prioritising education and human capital development under the Renewed Hope Agenda.

She also applauded the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, for her commitment to the education and empowerment of girls and young women.

The First Lady, who was represented at the occasion by the wife of the Vice President, Hajiya Nana Shettima, was described by Garba as an important voice in efforts to ensure that girls were not excluded from educational opportunities.

Garba said children affected by conflict, displacement and difficult circumstances still possessed dreams, talents and potential which could be developed if they were given the opportunity to learn.

She noted that the Federal Government, through the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative (NESRI), was implementing reforms aimed at improving educational quality, expanding access and ensuring that vulnerable children were not left behind.

She urged the Agboju community to take ownership of the school by protecting its facilities and supporting the girls enrolled in the institution.

Garba said the broader objective was to ensure that girls whose education had been interrupted could overcome the circumstances that forced them out of school and regain a pathway to education, skills, employment and leadership.