President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed Aisha Garba, an expert in international development, as the new Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC). The announcement was made on Tuesday through a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
The statement highlighted Garba’s strong background in education and development, noting her 24 years of experience in creating and managing impactful education initiatives in Nigeria and internationally. It emphasized her extensive work at the World Bank, where she spent over 15 years designing and managing education reforms from start to finish.
“With over 15 years of hands-on experience at the World Bank, Garba has consistently led end-to-end design and management of education programmes and reforms, from conceptualisation to completion and impact assessment,” the statement read.
Garba holds a combined degree in English and Computer Studies from Petra American University in Jordan, which she completed in 2000. She also earned a Master’s degree in International Development from the University of Birmingham, UK, in 2007.
She has worked with major global organizations, including the World Bank, the Department for International Development (DFID), and Muslim Aid Organization. Her career spans roles as a consultant and education strategist.
President Tinubu expressed confidence in Garba’s ability to lead UBEC toward achieving its goals of improving access to quality education for Nigerian children. He described her appointment as key to ensuring the country’s basic education sector becomes globally competitive.
