The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) has unveiled plans to transform the lives of over one million underserved girls and women across Nigeria through its newly adopted LUMINAH 2030 Initiative. This announcement was made by UBEC’s Executive Secretary, Aisha Garba, during a five-day programme in Abuja. Garba also confirmed the formal transition of the LUMINAH initiative from the Federal Ministry of Education to UBEC, marking a strategic move to ensure the project’s long-term sustainability and deeper alignment with Nigeria’s education priorities.
The LUMINAH 2030 Initiative is designed to tackle the high rate of out-of-school girls in Nigeria, a challenge UNICEF estimates affects 7.6 million girls nationwide. With 3.9 million not attending primary school and 3.7 million absent from junior secondary education, the programme aims to close this gap through integrated schooling, vocational training, caregiver support, and community engagement.
Represented by UBEC’s Deputy Executive Secretary (Technical), Razak Akinyemi, Garba highlighted that institutionalising the initiative within UBEC ensures its continuity beyond donor support frameworks like the AGILE (Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment), which previously nurtured LUMINAH. She emphasized that LUMINAH aligns with UBEC’s 10-year roadmap and Nigeria’s broader education transformation agenda, aiming to deliver an inclusive, scalable, and data-driven model focused on reaching the most marginalized girls.
Garba also expressed UBEC’s commitment to strong partnerships with state governments, civil society, the private sector, and local communities, stressing the importance of accountability and measurable outcomes through rigorous monitoring and evaluation. She called on all stakeholders to treat the migration process not as a mere administrative shift, but as a transformative step that must produce real impact.
Launched in March 2025 with support from the World Bank, the LUMINAH 2030 Initiative also targets the economic empowerment of female caregivers, creation of safe and flexible learning spaces for girls, and the promotion of gender-equitable education policies. The programme is currently being implemented in twelve pilot states, including Yobe, Taraba, Kano, Jigawa, Benue, FCT, Ebonyi, Anambra, Bayelsa, and Akwa Ibom.
National Coordinator of the LUMINAH Initiative, Mrs. Amina Buba, described the programme’s migration to UBEC as a strategic step towards greater impact. She noted that the move will strengthen institutional frameworks and deepen collaboration among stakeholders. Buba urged all partners to innovate boldly and work collectively to turn the initiative’s promises into measurable outcomes for adolescent girls across Nigeria.
Supporting the initiative, Neem Foundation’s Senior Programme Officer on Education, Minoe Duamwan, reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to integrating trauma-informed education with financial literacy and market-driven skills. Duamwan emphasized that true learning flourishes in safe, inclusive environments where education goes hand-in-hand with healing, resilience, and empowerment.
