Favour Ishember, Abuja
A girl who dropped out should never be called a lost cause, and a young mother who wants to go back to class should never be told her time is over, Dr. Aisha Garba, Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission, said on Thursday.
Garba spoke at the official reopening of the refurbished Alternative High School for Girls in Agboju, Lagos State. The project was bankrolled by UBEC under its UBE direct intervention fund, and she described it as far more than bricks and mortar.
According to her, the school is a fresh start for girls and young women whose schooling was cut short for different reasons.
“A girl whose situation stopped her from finishing school deserves another chance. Every child deserves a different route to get the education needed to succeed in life,” she said.
Garba said the Alternative High School for Girls was set up to help girls and young women return to learning, pick up practical skills, and build stable, fulfilling futures.
“Let this not just be a place where girls sit in class. Let it be where hope comes back, confidence grows, and the future is rewritten,” she added.
She praised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for making education and human capital a centerpiece of the Renewed Hope Agenda. She also applauded the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, for championing girls’ education and empowerment. The First Lady was represented at the event by the wife of the Vice President, Hajiya Nana Shettima.
Garba noted that the First Lady’s backing shows how seriously the country takes the goal of giving every girl a chance to learn, grow her talents, and reach her potential.
She stressed that children affected by conflict, displacement, or hardship still carry dreams, gifts, and ability, and they deserve the same shot at success.
Through the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative, NESRI, the Federal Government is pushing reforms to raise teaching quality, widen access, and make sure no Nigerian child is left out, she said.
Garba explained that UBEC’s work at Agboju covered the full package: school buildings, classrooms, furniture for students, teachers and managers, ICT devices, science and vocational equipment, WASH facilities, and general environmental upgrades.
“We believe education spending should be seen, not just in statistics and reports, but in the rooms where children learn, in the tools they use, and most importantly in the lives that change,” she said.
UBEC has now formally handed the rehabilitated facility over to the Lagos State Government. Garba urged the state to protect the investment, keep the facilities in good shape, and ensure the school keeps serving the girls it was built for.
She also disclosed that the second Alternative High School for Girls in Ikorodu is nearing completion, and will open more doors for girls and young women seeking a way back into education. Before the end of 2026, UBEC will also provide a school bus and digital smart boards for classrooms at Agboju.
For Garba, success will not be measured by how nice the building looks.
“The real proof will be the girl who walks through these gates and realizes she still has a future. It will be the girl who learns a skill, gets a job, starts a business, or becomes a leader in her community. That is why this matters,” she said.
She called on the Agboju community to take ownership of the school by safeguarding the facilities and supporting every girl who walks through its doors.
