Twenty-seven states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, have failed to access the N36.1bn education fund provided by the Universal Basic Education Commission in 2023.

The N36.1bn figure is obtained from a document prepared by UBEC in March 2024, which showed how state-by-state matching grants were not accessed.

The document, which was signed by UBEC’s Director of Finance and Account, Adamu Misau, said the sum of N36.1bn was not accessed by states.

According to the data on the document, Jigawa, Sokoto and Zamfara States in the North-West; Borno and Taraba states in the North-East; Nasarawa State in the North Central; Ondo State in the South-West; Enugu State in the South-East and Delta State in the South-South have fully accessed their funds.

However, the document stated that Kaduna State failed to access the sum of N1.3bn in 2023; Kano State failed to access the sum of N581m in the same year, with Katsina and Kebbi States also failing to access the sum of N1.3bn each in 2023.

Adamawa and Bauchi States, according to the data, jointly failed to access the funds provided for 2023 (N1.3bn).

Gombe State failed to access the sum of N1.3bn from 2023, while Yobe State failed to access the same amount in the same year.

Benue, Kwara and Niger States owed an accumulated sum of N2.6bn both, due to their failure to access the intervention funds in 2023.

Kogi, Plateau States and the FCT presently have N1.3bn each not accessed, which is presently lodged with the commission from the 2023 disbursement.

Ekiti and Lagos States also failed to access the sum of N1.3bn each from the 2023 disbursement.

Further analysis of the data revealed that Ogun State is yet to access the fund.

In February 2024, Human rights lawyer, Mrs Funmi Falana (SAN), dragged the 36 state governments and the FCT before the Federal High Court in Lagos, over their failure to access N68bn UBEC funds to provide free basic education for their citizens.

The senior advocate said the states failed to pay the counterparts funds necessary to access the UBEC funds to provide free basic education for citizens.

Also joined as defendants in the suit were the Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman (SAN) and UBEC.