Jane Salihu
The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) has called on public relations officers across the country to move beyond routine publicity and adopt impact-driven communication that highlights how government interventions are improving access to quality basic education.
The Executive Secretary of UBEC, Dr Aisha Garba, made the call on Monday in Keffi, Nasarawa State, at the commission’s 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 was delivered by the Director, North Central Zone, Mr Edward Ababalaka, said effective communication was essential to ensuring that government investments in school infrastructure, teacher development, instructional materials and digital learning translated into visible public awareness and appreciation.
She noted that despite the progress recorded in various intervention programmes, their impact could be undermined if the achievements were not properly documented, communicated and brought to the attention of relevant stakeholders.
According to her, public relations officers occupy a strategic position in translating education policies and programmes into compelling stories that build public confidence, encourage community participation and strengthen support for basic education.
She urged participants to embrace innovation, professionalism and digital communication tools in responding to the challenges of misinformation and the changing media landscape.
Garba said the workshop was designed to strengthen their capacity in advocacy, media relations, stakeholder engagement, content development, reputation management and strategic information dissemination.
She further challenged the officers to identify and showcase success stories from schools and communities, stressing that every classroom constructed, teacher trained and learning resource provided represented an important story of transformation.
The UBEC boss also appealed to SUBEB chairmen to provide adequate support and resources for their public relations departments, describing the officers as key image-makers responsible for projecting the achievements of their respective boards.
In her welcome address, the Acting Head of Corporate Communications, UBEC, Mrs Kemi Abass, said public relations responsibilities should extend beyond issuing press releases, covering official events and posting activities on social media.
She called for a shift towards proactive and strategic communication capable of demonstrating the real-life impact of government interventions on teaching and learning.
Abass encouraged participants to explore modern storytelling tools, including short documentaries, human-interest reports, infographics, interviews and beneficiary testimonials, to make education interventions more visible and relatable.
She also advocated stronger collaboration between UBEC and SUBEB communication units to promote timely information sharing, coordinated messaging and consistent publicity of achievements across the country.
Disclosing some of the commission’s proposed communication initiatives, she said UBEC was considering the introduction of a regular publicity bulletin, a documentary showcasing success stories across UBEC and SUBEBs, as well as a coordinated national digital campaign to increase public awareness of basic education interventions.
She expressed optimism that the workshop would improve the communication capacity of participants, strengthen collaboration and enhance public understanding of 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 importance of timely and effective communication in projecting the Federal Government’s achievements in the education sector.
Attah, who acknowledged progress in school infrastructure development, said isolated cases of inadequate facilities should not be allowed to overshadow broader improvements recorded across the country.
He stressed that public relations officers had a responsibility to consistently communicate ongoing government projects, their implementation and their benefits to Nigerians.
He also commended UBEC’s corporate communications initiatives, particularly its publicity materials, frequently asked questions and public awareness activities, urging the commission to extend such efforts to the state level.
Earlier, the Dean of UBEC/SUBEB Public Relations Officers, Mr Richard Nanpon Jonah, called for dedicated budgetary allocations for public relations activities across SUBEBs.
He said adequate funding would enable communication officers to effectively document and publicise the impact of educational interventions in their respective states.
Jonah maintained that investments in basic education would achieve greater public visibility and stakeholder acceptance when supported by effective communication, transparency and sustained engagement.
