The Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Dr. Aisha Garba, has formally conveyed her acceptance as keynote speaker and prestigious honouree for the AfroEuropa 2026 Global Impact Award for Transformative Leadership in Basic Education.
The high-profile international recognition comes in celebration of her exemplary stewardship, policy execution, and landmark contributions toward revolutionising Nigeria’s basic education architecture and drastically expanding foundational literacy across the country.
The honour was conferred during the annual AfroEuropa Gala & Awards Night held at the prominent City Pavilion on Collier Road, Romford, United Kingdom, drawing African and European leaders, diaspora influencers, and distinguished professionals. Convened by renowned international media mogul, Maureen Charming Layokun, the gala celebrates change-makers bridging the African diaspora with global development goals through transparent, impactful governance and cross-sector leadership.
In her delivered acceptance remarks, Dr. Garba expressed profound gratitude to the organisers and reaffirmed that the award does not merely celebrate an individual, but highlights the resilient collective efforts of grassroots teachers, education administrators, and international partners working tirelessly across Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. She dedicated the recognition to millions of Nigerian school pupils striving against systemic odds to access quality primary education, noting that equitable access to foundational learning remains the bedrock of sustainable national development and socio-economic transformation.
Highlighting ongoing structural reforms initiated under her mandate at UBEC, the Commission chief underscored the integration of modern digital learning frameworks, aggressive infrastructural revamps of primary schools, and robust institutional strategies deployed to eliminate the out-of-school children phenomenon. Dr. Garba stressed that under the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration’s Renewed Hope mandate, basic education is receiving unprecedented policy prioritization to ensure every Nigerian child acquires competitive 21st-century cognitive, technical, and digital capabilities.
The ceremony at Romford featured extensive networking, cultural performances, and media showcases with international figures, serving as a diaspora platform that spotlighted strategic investment avenues within the Nigerian public education landscape. Attendees commended Dr. Garba’s decisive leadership in repositioning UBEC into an efficient interventionist vehicle capable of meeting global benchmarks, with development advocates describing her global award as a timely testament to Nigeria’s renewed commitment to foundational education equity.
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