Delta’s Attend360 Could Transform Teacher Accountability Nationwide — UBEC
What if schools could know, in real time, whether teachers were actually in the classroom?
That is the promise behind Attend360, Delta State’s technology-based teacher attendance system, which the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) says could help strengthen accountability and improve learning outcomes across Nigeria.
UBEC Executive Secretary Aisha Garba made the assessment during a visit to the Delta State Government in Asaba, where education officials examined how technology, investment and stronger implementation could reshape basic education.
The engagement formed part of activities for the 30th Quarterly Meeting of UBEC Management with Executive Chairmen of State Universal Basic Education Boards (SUBEBs).
Why Attend360 matters
Garba pointed to teacher presence as one of the most basic — and most critical — conditions for effective learning.
Her argument was straightforward: new classrooms and improved infrastructure cannot deliver results if qualified teachers are not consistently present and engaged.
Attend360, she said, offers an example of how technology can help governments monitor attendance, strengthen accountability and tackle a challenge that directly affects what happens inside classrooms.
Delta was chosen to host the UBEC-SUBEB meeting partly because of its progress in using technology to improve school administration, monitor teacher attendance and strengthen accountability.
The state has also maintained a strong record in accessing UBE matching grants, with UBEC noting that Delta had accessed its allocation through 2025.
UBEC: Spending must produce results
Garba nevertheless challenged the state to go beyond accessing funds.
She called for the full and timely use of available UBEC resources, warning that education funding only delivers value when it produces tangible improvements in schools.
That means turning approved programmes and investments into:
- Better school facilities
- Stronger teaching
- Greater accountability
- Improved classroom experiences
- Better learning outcomes for children
Garba also urged Delta to prepare for opportunities under the HOPE Education Programme, a World Bank-supported initiative with up to $500 million earmarked for education.
For states seeking to participate, she highlighted two important conditions: accessing the 2026 matching grant and implementing at least 50% of the 2025 Action Plan.
Delta clarifies its unused funds
Delta State Deputy Governor Monday Onyeme assured UBEC that the state would continue investing in education and expanding access to quality learning.
He also clarified the state’s financial position.
Rather than the ₦8 billion in unutilised funds previously referenced, Onyeme said updated records showed that Delta had approximately ₦1 billion remaining unused.
He added that the state had completed about 90% of its 2025 Action Plan and had already received its 2026 matching grant.
Education, he said, remains one of Delta’s major investment priorities.
Traditional institutions enter the conversation
The education discussions extended beyond government offices.
During a separate visit to the Asagba of Asaba, HRM Prof. Epiphany Azinge, Garba stressed the role traditional institutions and other community stakeholders can play in advancing Nigeria’s education agenda.
She said UBEC’s objective is broader than building schools or distributing funding: every Nigerian child should have a genuine opportunity to receive quality basic education, regardless of where they live or their family circumstances.
Garba also recognised the Asagba’s support for education initiatives in Delta, including efforts involving smart schools, and encouraged closer cooperation between traditional institutions, governments and education agencies.
The real test is what happens in classrooms
That point brought the discussions back to the central issue: investment must eventually show up in the classroom.
Technology can monitor attendance. Funding can provide infrastructure. Government programmes can create opportunities.
But the ultimate measure is whether those efforts help children learn.
Garba said UBEC would continue working with state governments, traditional institutions and other stakeholders, offering technical assistance and collaboration aimed at strengthening basic education nationwide.
“Quality teachers” remain the foundation
Azinge echoed that emphasis, describing basic education as the stage on which Nigeria’s future is built.
He argued that children are developed, trained and prepared for future challenges during their formative years — making the quality of teachers particularly important.
His message was simple: the quality of the education system cannot rise above the quality of the people teaching its children.
He urged UBEC and SUBEB leaders to confront the sector’s challenges with practical, durable solutions.
And he stressed that inclusion must remain central to that effort.
Children with disabilities and those from disadvantaged backgrounds must not be left behind.
The wider message from the Delta engagements was therefore clear: education reform is not only about how much governments spend. It is about whether money, technology and policy ultimately produce better teaching, stronger accountability and better opportunities for every child.
Source: NAN