The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) has unveiled plans to educate and economically empower 1 million underserved Nigerian girls under the Learning, Uniting, Modernising, Innovating, Nurturing, Accelerating, and Harmonising (LUMINAH) 2030 initiative.

UBEC’s Executive Secretary Aisha Garba, announced this at the opening of a five-day programme on LUMINAH 2030-UBEC Migration and Establishment Agenda in Abuja.

She said the commission had formally taken over the initiative from the Federal Ministry of Education and that the government’s action was a timely and necessary step to guarantee sustainability and long-term impact.

Garba said: “LUMINAH 2030 illuminates the path to education and empowerment. It integrates schooling, skills training, caregiver support, and community engagement to address the root causes that have kept our girls out of school.”

The UBEC chief, who was represented by the Deputy Executive Secretary (Technical), Razak Akinyemi, lauded the contributions of Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE), the global support programme that has nurtured LUMINAH 2030 since inception.

Garba stressed that embedding LUMINAH 2030 within UBEC ensures institutionalisation, alignment with Nigeria’s education priorities, and a lasting legacy.

She said: “By institutionalising LUMINAH within UBEC, we ensure that it will not fade away but endure. It is fully aligned with UBEC’s seven pillars in the 10-year roadmap (2021–2030) and the national education transformation agenda. Our expectations are clear: to deliver an inclusive, scalable, and data-driven model that reaches the most marginalized girls.”

Garba outlined UBEC’s commitment to strong partnerships with state governments, the civil society, the private sector, and local communities, emphasising accountability and measurable impact through rigorous monitoring and evaluation.