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State governments left ₦264.12bn in Universal Basic Education Commission matching grants unspent, even as many public schools still face overcrowded classrooms, poor facilities and shortages of learning materials. UBEC’s 2025 annual report said the money had been disbursed to State Universal Basic Education Boards but remained in state accounts as of monitoring visits on July 21, 2025.
State governments left ₦264.12bn in Universal Basic Education Commission, or UBEC, matching grants unspent, according to the 2025 UBEC Annual Report cited by Punch.
The report said the funds had already been disbursed to State Universal Basic Education Boards but were still sitting in state accounts when UBEC carried out monitoring visits on July 21, 2025.
The unspent balances persisted despite serious gaps in public basic education infrastructure and materials. According to the report, many schools were still dealing with dilapidated classrooms, overcrowding and shortages of learning materials.
Benue recorded the highest unspent balance at ₦19.18bn. Imo followed with ₦14.12bn, while Osun had ₦14.02bn.
The findings point to a disconnect between available education funding and conditions in many public schools. Matching grants are meant to support basic education projects, but the report indicates that a significant amount had not yet translated into visible improvements at school level.
The issue is especially notable because classroom shortages and weak learning conditions remain among the biggest pressures on Nigeria’s public basic education system. With funds already released but not used, concerns are likely to remain over project delivery, planning and spending efficiency at state level.
Why it matters
The report raises fresh questions about how quickly states are turning education allocations into actual school improvements. When approved funds remain idle while pupils learn in overcrowded or damaged classrooms, the gap between budgeting and service delivery becomes harder to ignore.
It also matters for accountability. Public concern is likely to focus not only on how much money was released, but on why school conditions remain poor despite those funds being available in state accounts.
What it means for your money
This does not have a direct immediate personal-finance effect for most households, but it matters indirectly. When public schools lack classrooms and learning materials despite available funding, families may face added pressure to spend more on private schooling, transport or basic educational supplies.
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What deserves close attention now is whether state governments begin drawing down these balances for classroom repairs, expansion and learning materials. Further monitoring by UBEC and public scrutiny of State Universal Basic Education Boards will matter, especially in states with the largest unspent amounts. The key issue to watch is whether the money moves from state accounts into completed school projects.
UBEC’s 2025 report shows that ₦264.12bn in matching grants remained unspent in state accounts even as many public schools faced poor facilities, overcrowding and shortages. The central issue is no longer only funding availability, but whether states will use existing education funds effectively.
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