Historic Gains in Enrolment Drive

The Bauchi State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) recorded remarkable progress in 2025, achieving a reduction of over 85% from the inherited baseline. This milestone restored the fundamental right to education for more than 1.2 million children across the state.

Enrolment Drive Success

The 2025 Enrolment Campaign set a target of 220,000 children. Against all odds, actual enrolment soared to 284,000 children, surpassing expectations with a performance rate of 129%. This achievement reflects the strength of Bauchi's multi-sectoral reform model, which has proven effective in expanding access to quality education.

Empowering Adolescent Girls

Through the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) Project and the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) programs, Bauchi State has recorded unprecedented gains in enrolment, retention, and transition for adolescent girls, particularly at the Upper Basic and Senior Secondary levels. These targeted interventions have substantially reduced gender-based disparities and strengthened equity in access to education across the state.

Transforming Learning Spaces

SUBEB has invested in building Mega Schools, Model Schools, and Smart Schools, alongside large-scale rehabilitation and reconstruction of existing infrastructure. In addition, the systematic integration of Tsangaya and Qur'anic schools into the formal basic education system has expanded access to quality learning spaces.

These interventions have created safe, inclusive, and conducive environments for effective teaching and learning. Collectively, they have strengthened the foundation for equitable access to basic education and enhanced the delivery of quality education across urban, semi-urban, and rural communities in Bauchi State.

Strengthening Teacher Accountability

SUBEB has enforced robust measures to tackle teacher absenteeism and instructional negligence. These actions have re-established professional discipline within the teaching workforce, ensured improved teacher presence and accountability in classrooms, enhanced learning outcomes for pupils, and restored public trust and parental confidence in Bauchi's public basic education system.

Community Engagement at the Grassroots

By engaging Hamlets, Ward Heads, and District Heads, SUBEB has anchored grassroots-level participation in education. This strengthened traditional governance architecture has significantly enhanced community ownership of education initiatives. Traditional institutions now serve as frontline partners in enrolment enforcement, learner attendance monitoring, child protection, social mobilization, and conflict-sensitive advocacy for schooling.

Beyond Enrolment: Ensuring Retention and Transition

Recognizing that enrolment alone does not guarantee educational success, SUBEB has initiated comprehensive strategies to ensure retention, smooth transition, and completion of schooling for all newly enrolled learners. These include:

• Systematic attendance-monitoring frameworks
• Early warning mechanisms to identify and prevent dropouts
• Clearly defined transition pathways across Early Childhood, Primary, Junior Secondary, and Senior Secondary education

Together, these measures safeguard the future of Bauchi's children and ensure that the gains of the 2025 enrolment drive translate into lasting educational success.

Addressing Challenges:

Persistent Socio-Economic Barriers: Despite the significant progress recorded, structural and socio-economic challenges remain. Endemic poverty continues to expose some children to risks such as child labor, illegal mining, seasonal migration, and domestic economic pressures. These factors threaten sustained enrolment and retention, particularly among vulnerable groups.

Pressure on Infrastructure and Workforce The successful absorption of 284,000 newly enrolled learners has placed additional strain on existing school infrastructure, teacher recruitment, and instructional support systems. Expanding facilities, strengthening the teaching workforce, and enhancing instructional delivery are now urgent priorities to ensure that every child receives quality education.

Commitment to Sustainable Solutions: SUBEB remains committed to tackling these challenges through strategic investments, community partnerships, and policy reforms. By addressing poverty-related risks and scaling up infrastructure and teacher deployment, Bauchi State aims to consolidate its enrolment gains and secure lasting educational success for all children.

SUBEB Priorities in 2026: (Next Steps)

Teacher Recruitment & Deployment Plan: To sustain these gains, SUBEB has developed a Teacher Recruitment and Deployment Plan. This initiative will ensure recruitment, development and equitable distribution of qualified teachers across schools, strengthening instructional delivery and improving learning outcomes.

Consolidating 2025 Gains In 2026, SUBEB will intensify efforts to integrate the remaining out-of-school children into basic education. Learners who have completed nine months of non-formal education will be mainstreamed into the formal system, ensuring no child is left behind.

Strengthening Traditional Leadership Engagement, the Board will solidify the role of traditional leaders—Hamlets, Ward Heads, and District Heads—in school monitoring, community engagement, and reporting mechanisms. This sustainable structure will reinforce community-level enrolment enforcement, attendance oversight, and learner safety protection, embedding education firmly within grassroots governance.

Accelerating ICT Policy Implementation SUBEB will drive the Bauchi State ICT Policy on Education to:

• Strengthen data management, monitoring, and reporting
• Enhance service delivery across schools
• Establish and deploy a special Teacher Corps dedicated to serving rural and underserved communities

Ensuring Equity and Quality These measures will directly address teacher shortages, improve institutional quality, and guarantee equitable access to education across Bauchi State. By combining technology-driven reforms with community-led accountability, SUBEB is building a resilient and inclusive education system for the future.