By Nkechi Eze
The Director-General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mrs. Zubaida Umar, has called for strategic collaboration with the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) to ensure the effective operation of schools established under the Rehabilitation Scheme for Persons Impacted by Conflict (RSPIC) across seven beneficiary states.
Mrs. Umar made the appeal on Tuesday, February 11, 2026, during a courtesy visit to the headquarters of UBEC in Abuja, where she underscored the importance of education in restoring hope and rebuilding communities devastated by conflict.
She explained that the RSPIC initiative was conceived as a comprehensive intervention designed to address the multifaceted needs of conflict-affected populations. According to her, the scheme goes beyond physical resettlement to encompass critical social services such as healthcare, livelihoods, and, importantly, education.
“The implementation of the RSPIC project was deliberately structured to holistically address the needs of communities impacted by conflict,” she said. “We ensured that schools were incorporated into the rehabilitation sites so that children and young persons in the resettled communities can access quality basic education.”
Mrs. Umar noted that while NEMA has successfully provided the physical infrastructure for the schools at the rehabilitation centres, operationalising them requires institutional partnership. She stressed that collaboration with UBEC is crucial to facilitate the deployment of qualified teachers, the provision of instructional materials, and other essential educational support services necessary to make the schools fully functional.
She further emphasised that education is central to sustainable recovery and long-term stability in post-conflict environments. By equipping children with knowledge and life skills, she said, the country can lay a strong foundation for rebuilding resilient and self-reliant communities.
“Education remains a vital component of sustainable recovery,” the NEMA Director-General stated, adding that investing in the learning and development of children in post-conflict areas is an investment in national peace and security.
Responding, the Executive Secretary of UBEC, Dr. Aisha Garba, assured NEMA of the Commission’s readiness to collaborate in line with its statutory mandate to promote and coordinate basic education across Nigeria.
Dr. Garba commended NEMA for its foresight in integrating educational infrastructure into the broader rehabilitation framework, describing the initiative as a forward-thinking approach to post-conflict recovery. She expressed UBEC’s commitment to working out practical modalities that would ensure the effective operationalisation of the schools.
The meeting marks a significant step toward strengthening inter-agency cooperation aimed at restoring normalcy and expanding access to basic education for children in communities recovering from the impact of conflict.
