It is hardly debateable that implementation is the bane of public policies and programmes in Nigeria. A well formulated policy or programme is useless if not properly implemented as its stated objectives will not be realized. The Universal Basic Education (UBE) programme was introduced in Nigeria in September 1999 by the Obasanjo's administration. Ten years on, the programme is being bedeviled by a number of implementation problems. This paper examines some of the major constraints impeding the effective implementation of the UBE programme in Nigeria. The paper then suggested some strategies to facilitate the successful implementation of the programme.

Based on a field study of two hundred primary school teachers in the Nigerian City of Uyo in Akwa Ibom State, the relationships between absenteeism and job satisfaction, meaningfulness of work, and job stress respectively were explored. The research results showed that significant relationships exist between the dependent variable (absenteeism) and the respective independent variables (job satisfaction, meaningfulness of work and job stress). The study therefore concludes that job satisfactions, meaningfulness of work and job stress are major determinants of teacher absenteeism in Nigerian public primary schools. Some strategies to reduce teacher absenteeism were then suggested.