An Assessment of the Challenges Facing the Implementation of Universal Basic Education (UBE) Programme in Taraba State

Abstract

— This study assessed the major challenges facing the implementation of the Universal Basic Education (UBE) programme in Taraba State, with particular attention to Jalingo and Takum Local Government Areas. The study was motivated by persistent disparities in access, retention, teacher availability and qualification, school infrastructure, community participation, and educational service delivery despite the national commitment to free and compulsory basic education. A descriptive qualitative design was adopted, drawing on interviews, focus group discussions, direct school observations, and secondary evidence from UBEC, the Taraba State Ministry of Education, SUBEB, NBS, UNESCO, the World Bank, and relevant academic studies. The analysis identified inadequate and uneven funding, weak resource utilisation, shortages and uneven deployment of qualified teachers, poor infrastructure, insecurity, household poverty, weak local governance, inadequate monitoring and accountability, and ineffective School-Based Management Committees as interconnected challenges. These constraints reinforce one another, particularly in conflict-affected and economically disadvantaged communities, where insecurity disrupts attendance and teacher deployment, poverty increases dropout and child labour, and weak institutional capacity limits effective resource utilisation. The study concludes that UBE implementation challenges in Taraba State are primarily linked to implementation capacity, equitable resource distribution, security, and context-sensitive governance. It recommends needs-based funding, improved teacher recruitment and rural incentives, school rehabilitation, conflict-sensitive planning, stronger SBMCs, social protection for vulnerable households, and transparent monitoring of UBE projects and funds.