ASSESSING THE ROLE OF STAKEHOLDERS IN SHAPING UBE POLICY DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION IN NIGERIA

Several works have been written on different aspects of UBE policy and its implementation with little attention paid to the assessing the role of stakeholders in shaping the phenomenon. Universal Basic Education (UBE) is one of the most significant educational reforms introduced by the Nigerian government to ensure access to free, compulsory, and universal basic education for all children of school age. The policy, formally launched in 1999 and strengthened through the Universal Basic Education Act of 2004, was designed to address persistent challenges such as low literacy rates, poor access to schooling, regional disparities, and high numbers of out-of-school children. This study assesses the role played by these stakeholders in shaping the development and implementation of the UBE policy in Nigeria. The research work seeks to strengthen the knowledge of readers by adopting a sociological and interactive models of enquiry on the subject matter. The work discovered that effective stakeholder participation is critical for ensuring the sustainability, inclusiveness, and quality of basic education across the country. The study also identifies major challenges confronting the policy, such as inadequate funding, infrastructural deficits, weak institutional coordination, and socio-cultural barriers to school enrollment. It suggests that stronger partnerships among government agencies, school management bodies, communities, and international development organizations can enhance accountability, improve resource mobilization, and strengthen educational outcomes. The research concludes that although the UBE policy has made significant progress in expanding access to education, its long-term success depends on continuous collaboration among stakeholders and sustained commitment to policy reforms that address emerging educational challenges in Nigeria.