Former governor of Ogun State and now serving senator, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, has expressed concern over the state of primary education in Nigeria, advocating for its control under local government administration. He believes that local governments, with full financial autonomy, are best suited to manage primary education in the country.
Daniel voiced this position in Lagos at a recent retreat organised by the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) for members of the Senate Committee on Basic and Secondary Education. As the chairman of the retreat, themed “Basic Education Implementation in Nigeria: Issues, Challenges, and Way Forward,” he emphasized that basic education would be more effectively managed if local governments were in charge.
“We should allow the local government to run basic education, especially at the primary school level, while the state should completely hand off other roles and rather concentrate on secondary education,” Daniel stated.
He identified several issues and challenges that need to be addressed to advance the subsector, including lack of access, poor infrastructure, a shortage of competent teachers and instructional materials, an obsolete curriculum, inadequate funding, high teacher/student ratios, limited access to technology, and societal and cultural barriers. Daniel emphasised that local governments are better equipped to tackle these issues.
The executive secretary of UBEC, Dr. Hamid Bobboyi, highlighted the importance of a comprehensive review of the challenges facing basic education in the country to develop a practicable and enduring solution. He specifically mentioned the UBEC Act, noting that the 20-year-old legislation is overdue for revision to align with current global best practices in basic education, ensuring free and quality education for all Nigerian children.
Dr. Bobboyi underscored that now is the opportune moment for this review, especially as the country strives to overcome economic challenges.
In his remarks, the chairman of the Senate Committee on Basic and Secondary Education, Mr. Lawal Usman, expressed the committee’s commitment to charting a new course for basic education in Nigeria. He also emphasised the need to revisit the 2004 UBEC Act, promising that the retreat would address major issues in the document, relate them to emerging trends in the subsector, and develop practical recommendations for the way forward.
Fresh concerns have emerged over compliance with a court order issued by the High Court of Kano State on April 8, 2026, restraining key parties—including the Honourable Minister of Education, the Kano State Ministry of Land and Physical Planning, the Kano State Urban Development Authority, and Pluck Global Company Limited—from further actions pending the determination of the matter before the court.
Findings indicate that while all parties—except the concessionaire, Pluck Global Company Limited—were duly served within two days of the order, significant challenges were encountered in effecting service on the company, raising troubling questions about its corporate traceability and regulatory vetting.
A review of the company’s records filed with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) revealed addresses that could not be verified as functional business locations. Notably, documentation submitted to Federal Government College (FGC), Kano, dated June 20, 2024, listed two addresses: 8B, Lalupon Street, off Keffi Street, off Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, as its head office, and 3 Bargery Road, Bompai, Kano, as its branch office.
However, a physical visit to the Ikoyi address revealed that the entire property is occupied by a company identified as Golden Alchemy, whose staff категорically denied any knowledge of, or shared occupancy with, Pluck Global Company Limited.
Efforts to trace the Kano address yielded even more unsettling findings. The location—a locked duplex—showed no visible signs of commercial activity. Neighbours, while reluctant to speak on record, alluded to irregular movements at odd hours, casting further doubt on the legitimacy of the premises as a corporate office.
In a twist, after multiple attempts to establish contact, an individual purportedly representing the company surfaced in Kano and agreed to receive and acknowledge the court order on April 11, 2026, at approximately 6:00 pm. Curiously, the Ikoyi address—already discredited—was again listed as the company’s official address in the acknowledgment.
These developments raise critical questions regarding due diligence and Know Your Customer (KYC) protocols on the part of the Federal Ministry of Education. They also cast a spotlight on the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), should a concession agreement indeed have been executed with the company. Stakeholders say it would be instructive to review the addresses contained in all official correspondences and contractual documents linked to the transaction.
Meanwhile, a visit to the premises of Federal Government College, Kano, revealed ongoing construction activity, with workers observed excavating foundations. When approached, the workers declined to disclose the authority under which they were operating—despite the subsistence of a court order restraining further action.
Notably, a previously installed project billboard bearing the insignia of the school authorities and the Federal Ministry of Education had been removed. Sources within the institution suggest that the directive for its removal may have emanated from the Ministry following receipt of the court order.
The unfolding situation presents a complex mix of legal, regulatory, and accountability issues—raising the spectre of possible non-compliance with judicial directives, as well as deeper concerns about transparency in public-private concession arrangements.
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