The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) has urged public relations and information officers across the country to embrace innovation, professionalism and strategic communication in promoting its interventions and improving public understanding of government investments in basic education.
The Executive Secretary of UBEC, Dr Aisha Garba, gave the charge on Monday in Keffi, Nasarawa State, during 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 (FCT).
The workshop was declared open by the Chairman of the Nasarawa State Universal Basic Education Board, Dr Kassim Mohamed. Garba’s address, delivered on her behalf by the Director of UBEC’s North Central Zone, Mr Edward Ababalaka, described effective communication as a strategic pillar of educational development and an important tool for ensuring that the achievements of government interventions are understood and appreciated by the public.
She noted that although progress had been recorded in school infrastructure development, teacher professional development, the provision of instructional materials and digital learning initiatives, the impact of these interventions also depended on how effectively they were communicated to stakeholders.
According to her, public relations officers play a critical role in translating education policies and programmes into compelling stories of impact, building public confidence and mobilising communities to support basic education delivery. She therefore urged participants to be proactive, innovative and responsive, particularly amid the growing influence of digital media and the challenges posed by misinformation.
Garba explained that the workshop was designed to strengthen participants’ capacity in advocacy, media relations, stakeholder engagement, content development, digital communication, reputation management and strategic information dissemination. She encouraged them to move beyond routine publicity by documenting and showcasing success stories from schools and communities, noting that every classroom constructed, teacher trained and learning resource provided represented a story of transformation worthy of public attention.
The UBEC executive secretary also called on SUBEB chairmen to provide adequate support and resources for their public relations departments, describing the officers as image-makers responsible for communicating the achievements of their respective boards.
In her welcome address, the Acting Head of Corporate Communications at UBEC, Mrs Kemi Abass, said the responsibilities of public relations officers extended beyond issuing press releases, covering events and publishing activities on social media. She urged them to adopt proactive, strategic and impact-driven communication approaches that demonstrate how government interventions are improving teaching and learning outcomes.
Abass encouraged participants to use modern communication tools, including short documentaries, human-interest stories, infographics, interviews and beneficiary testimonials, to make their messages more engaging and accessible. She also emphasised the need for stronger collaboration between UBEC and SUBEB communication units to promote timely information sharing, coordinated messaging and consistent communication of achievements nationwide.
She disclosed that the commission was considering the establishment of a regular UBEC publicity bulletin, the production of a documentary showcasing success stories across UBEC and SUBEBs, and a coordinated national digital campaign to improve public awareness of basic education interventions.
According to Abass, the workshop is expected to strengthen the communication capacity of UBEC and SUBEB personnel, improve collaboration among their public relations units and increase public awareness 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, highlighted the importance of effective and timely communication in showcasing the Federal Government’s achievements in the basic education sector.
Attah reaffirmed the commitment of the Minister of Education, Dr Olatunji Alausa, to transforming the education sector and acknowledged progress in school infrastructure development. He, however, stressed that such achievements must be consistently communicated to the public to ensure that isolated cases of inadequate facilities do not overshadow broader improvements.
He urged public relations officers to tell the stories behind government interventions and keep the public informed about ongoing projects and their impact. He also commended UBEC’s corporate communications efforts, particularly its publicity materials, frequently asked questions and public awareness activities, while encouraging the commission to extend similar initiatives 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 to enable officers to communicate the impact of education interventions more effectively in their respective states.
Jonah maintained that investments in basic education would achieve greater public impact when supported by effective communication, transparency and meaningful stakeholder engagement.
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