UBEC Tasks PR Officers on Innovative Communication of Education Interventions

The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) has urged public relations officers across the country to adopt innovative communication strategies to publicise government interventions and improve public understanding of investments in basic education.

The commission’s Executive Secretary, Dr Aisha Garba, gave the charge on Monday in Keffi, Nasarawa State, at its 12th Annual Training Workshop for public relations and information officers of UBEC and State Universal Basic Education Boards (SUBEBs) from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

Garba, whose address the Director, North Central Zone, Mr Edward Ababalaka, delivered, described strategic communication as an important part of educational development.

She said effective communication would help Nigerians understand and appreciate the impact of government investments in the sector.

The UBEC boss noted that the government had recorded progress in school infrastructure, teacher development, instructional materials and digital learning initiatives.

However, she stressed that the public could only appreciate these achievements when communication officers effectively documented and presented their impact.

She described public relations officers as important links between government policies and the communities they serve. According to her, their work helps build public confidence and encourages community participation in basic education.

Garba urged the officers to embrace innovation and professionalism, particularly as digital media continues to reshape public communication and misinformation poses growing challenges.

She said the workshop would equip participants with skills in advocacy, media relations, stakeholder engagement, content development, digital communication, reputation management and strategic information dissemination.

The executive secretary also challenged them to move beyond routine publicity by highlighting success stories from schools and communities.

She said every classroom constructed, teacher trained and learning resource provided offered an opportunity to demonstrate the impact of government interventions.

Garba further urged SUBEB chairmen to strengthen their public relations departments and provide the necessary support for officers to effectively project their boards’ achievements.

Earlier, the Acting Head of Corporate Communications at UBEC, Mrs Kemi Abass, said public relations officers must look beyond press releases, event coverage and social media updates.

She urged them to adopt proactive and impact-driven communication that shows how government interventions improve teaching and learning outcomes.

Abass encouraged the participants to use modern storytelling tools, including short documentaries, human-interest reports, infographics, interviews and beneficiaries’ testimonials.

She also called for closer collaboration between UBEC and SUBEB communication units to promote timely information sharing and consistent messaging across the country.

The acting communications head disclosed that the commission planned to introduce a regular publicity bulletin and produce a documentary highlighting success stories from UBEC and SUBEB interventions.

She added that UBEC also planned to launch a coordinated national digital campaign to increase public awareness and visibility of its basic education programmes.

According to her, the workshop would strengthen communication capacity, improve collaboration among public relations units and deepen public understanding of government efforts to expand access to quality basic education.

Also speaking, the Special Adviser to the Minister of Education on Media and Communications, Mr Ikharo Attah, emphasised the need for timely and effective communication to showcase the Federal Government’s achievements in the education sector.

Attah reaffirmed the commitment of the Minister of Education, Dr Olatunji Alausa, to transforming the sector.

He acknowledged improvements in school infrastructure but warned that poor communication could allow isolated cases of inadequate facilities to overshadow wider progress.

He urged public relations officers to consistently inform Nigerians about government projects, their implementation and their impact on beneficiaries.

Attah also commended UBEC’s corporate communications initiatives, particularly its publicity materials, frequently asked questions and public awareness activities.

He encouraged the commission to extend these initiatives to the state level to ensure wider public engagement.

Earlier, the Dean of UBEC/SUBEB Public Relations Officers, Mr Richard Nanpon Jonah, called for dedicated budgetary allocations for public relations activities across SUBEBs.

Jonah said adequate funding would enable communication officers to effectively publicise the impact of basic education interventions in their respective states.

He noted that investments in basic education would deliver greater public value when supported by effective communication, transparency and sustained stakeholder engagement.

The chairman of the Nasarawa State Universal Basic Education Board, Dr Kassim Mohamed, declared the workshop open.