UBEC will ensure every Nigerian child accesses basic education — Bobboyi

The Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Dr Hamid Bobboyi, has reiterated the commission’s commitment towards ensuring that every Nigerian child is given access to basic education as well as eliminating the menace of out-of-school children in the country.

Bobboyi, who stated this during a two-day training programme for UBEC and SUBEB Heads of Public Relations and Protocol from the 36 states and FCT, with the theme, ‘Challenges of Contemporary Media Practices and its Implications for UBE Programme Implementation in Nasarawa State’, the UBEC boss charged heads of public relations and protocol across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on the need to ensure effective information management for enhanced implementation of Universal Basic Education (UBE) programmes across the country.

Bobboyi, who was represented by Malam Abubakar Hassan, Deputy Director, Finance and Account, said the media remains critical to the successful implementation of UBE programmes and activities across the states of the federation, a statement by the Head, Public Relations and Protocol Unit of UBEC, Mr David Apeh, stated.

He stated that as information managers at the federal and state levels, the public relations personnel were expected to do their work more efficiently and effectively while promoting the activities of the commission and SUBEBs respectively.

He said it was against that backdrop that the annual training programme was organized by UBEC to strengthen the skills of heads of public relations and protocol across the 36 states and the FCT to effectively promote their programme’s key ideals and mobilise their various states towards the sector’s development.

Earlier, Apeh said the training was designed to help the public relations officers in sharpening their PR strategies.

According to him, the publicity aspect of basic education was one of the critical parts of UBE and hoped that sustaining the training would be continuous and regular.

While noting that the commission remains committed to the promotion of quality education delivery at all levels through propagating and disseminating the activities and achievements in the basic education sub-sector, he said,  “The country is looking up to public relations officers of UBEC/SUBEB to take the lead in our quest to use education for the transformation of our society for the benefit of all.”

One of the resource persons, Dr Peter Ogudoro, in his presentation at the event entitled, “PR Power for Revolutionary Education in Nigeria”, urged the participants to settle for an intelligent mix of orthodox and new media while always trying to equip themselves for effective management of issues including crisis.