The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has invited the Executive Chairman of the Osun State Universal Basic Education Board, Ibukun Fadipe, for questioning over the management of Federal Government counterpart grants and the use of intervention funds meant for education projects in the state.
The anti-graft agency directed Fadipe to appear at its headquarters in Abuja on May 26, 2026, as part of an ongoing investigation into the handling of funds under the Universal Basic Education Commission, UBEC, scheme.
The invitation was contained in a letter dated May 19, 2026, signed by the EFCC Director of Investigation, Abdulkarim Chukkol.
According to the letter, the investigation focuses on the “utilisation of counterpart grants and execution of projects under the Universal Basic Education Commission scheme in Osun State from 2024 to date.”
The EFCC said the invitation was issued under Section 38(1) and (2) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Establishment Act, 2004, which gives the commission powers to request information and invite individuals connected to ongoing investigations.
The commission also requested several documents related to the management of the grants and projects executed with the funds.
According to the letter with reference number CR:3000/EFCC/ABJ/PFS/HQ/TA/OSU/VOL.17/322, the commission demanded details on eight different issues linked to the grants, contracts and projects handled by the Osun SUBEB.
Among the documents requested by the EFCC are evidence of counterpart funds submitted to the Universal Basic Education Commission for matching grants from 2024 till date, action plans, utilisation guidelines and records of projects carried out with the money.
The anti-corruption agency also asked for records of contracts awarded under the grants, including letters of award, contract agreements, payment details and bank information connected to the transactions.
Other documents requested include payment vouchers, approvals, project status reports and all records earlier submitted to UBEC before the release of funds.
The EFCC directed the SUBEB chairman to appear in person alongside the requested documents for an interview with investigators.
“You are requested to report in person with the requested information/documents for an interview with the undersigned through the Head, Procurement Fraud Section, on Tuesday, 26th May, 2026 at the Commission’s Headquarters, Plot 301/302 Institutions and Research District, Abuja by 1000 hours,” the letter stated.
The development has drawn attention to the management of basic education funds in Nigeria, especially funds allocated through the UBEC counterpart funding arrangement.
Under the UBEC scheme, the Federal Government provides matching grants to states for the development of public basic education. However, states are expected to contribute counterpart funding before accessing the grants.
The funds are usually meant for the construction and renovation of classrooms, provision of learning materials, teacher development and improvement of infrastructure in public primary and junior secondary schools.
Over the years, concerns have been raised about delays, abandoned projects and alleged misuse of UBEC funds in several states across the country.
Education stakeholders have repeatedly called for greater transparency and accountability in the handling of intervention funds allocated to schools.
Anti-corruption agencies have also intensified investigations into the management of public funds within government agencies and state institutions.
The EFCC, in recent years, has expanded its investigations beyond traditional financial crimes to include alleged procurement fraud, contract irregularities and misuse of intervention funds.
The commission has carried out several investigations involving ministries, agencies and public officials accused of financial misconduct.
Although the invitation of the Osun SUBEB chairman does not amount to a conviction, analysts say it reflects growing scrutiny of how public education funds are being managed.
The investigation is also coming at a time many public schools across Nigeria continue to face serious infrastructure challenges, including overcrowded classrooms, shortage of teachers and poor learning facilities.
In Osun State, education remains one of the major sectors receiving government attention, especially at the basic education level.
Successive administrations in the state have launched different programmes aimed at improving public schools and increasing access to education.
However, critics have often questioned whether intervention funds allocated to the sector are being properly utilised.
Stakeholders say proper monitoring of UBEC projects is important because the programme directly affects millions of pupils in public schools across the country.
The Federal Government created UBEC as part of efforts to improve access to quality basic education and reduce the number of out-of-school children in Nigeria.
Nigeria currently has one of the highest numbers of out-of-school children in the world, with poverty, insecurity and poor infrastructure identified as major factors affecting school enrolment and learning.
The EFCC investigation is therefore expected to focus not only on financial records but also on whether projects linked to the grants were properly executed.
As of the time of filing this report, neither Fadipe nor the Osun State Government had publicly responded to the EFCC invitation.
The anti-graft agency has continued to stress that accountability and transparency in the use of public resources remain central to its operations.