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President Bola Tinubu has appointed Aisha Garba, a Senior Education Specialist with the World Bank, as the new Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC).

The appointment was announced on Tuesday in a statement by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy.

According to the statement, Garba brings over 15 years of experience with the World Bank, where she contributed to achieving Nigeria’s Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) targets, served as a consultant, and participated in several key projects.

Described as an international development specialist, the President expects Garba to advance his renewed hope agenda by promoting quality education and ensuring Nigerian children are equipped to compete globally in her new role.

According to Onanuga’s statement, “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed Aisha Garba, an international development specialist, as the Executive Secretary of Universal Basic Education (UBEC).

“Garba, a Senior Education Specialist with the World Bank, brings more than twenty-four years of experience driving impactful programmes in education for human and economic development, working in Nigeria, Ghana, Somalia, Kenya, the USA, and the United Kingdom.

“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.

“Apart from being actively interested in and involved in human development issues, the development specialist will share her rich network with governments, development partners, and communities, as well as the skills she acquired working in fragile, conflict, and violent settings to deliver sustainable solutions in basic education.

“Garba had previously worked on the team that met the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) targets in Nigeria and consulted for the World Bank, Department for International Development, BOND-UK, Regent Foundation, and Muslim Aid Organization.

“She is an alumna of Petra American University in Jordan, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts combined degree in English and Computer Studies in 2000. She later got a Master’s in International Development at the University of Birmingham in the UK in 2007.

“The President expects the new Executive Secretary of UBEC to drive the renewed hope and vision of providing and supporting quality education and ensuring that Nigerian children become globally competitive.”