The northern part of Nigeria houses most of the country’s out-of-school children. However, many parents in the region embrace Islamiyya, Quranic and Tsangaya Education (IQTE), with children often being sent far from home to acquire knowledge of the Quran. Considering the huge number of IQTE schools and their students, the integration of these schools into the formal system may help Nigeria draw closer to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals targets, especially Goal 4- Education for All.

Promoting the recruitment of female teachers is not only an essential step towards achieving gender equality, but also contributes to creating a more diverse, inclusive, and enriched educational environment and safer schools for women to teach and for girls to learn. Encouraging the recruitment of female teachers involves recognising the unique contributions
they bring to the profession and addressing barriers that may impede their entry into the field. Representation matters, and having female teachers provides important role models for both male and female students.

The connection between language and education is very visible and paramount. Language has a profound impact on education. Many children start school with knowledge of concepts in their mother tongue but cannot relate to the same concepts in school because they are unfamiliar with the language of the classroom. In order to fully realise the benefits of education in the mother tongue, it is essential for policymakers and educators to recognise the importance of language as a tool for learning and development.

Malam Musa teaches at a Community Learning Hub, an initiative under the FCDO-funded Partnership for Learning for All (PLANE) programme. These Community Learning Hubs provide a safe space for both in-school and out-of-school children to learn basic literacy and numeracy skills.

The Partnership for Learning for All in Nigeria (PLANE) project makes the community learning festivals possible. At the close of the school year in July 2023, PLANE staff worked with local leaders and community members to host learning festivals, giving students the chance to show their communities what they had learned.

A delegation from the British High Commission, PLANE and DAI was in Jigawa State on Wednesday, 8 November, to show support to the state government as it begins the roll-out of transformative education reforms under the new administration’s 12-point agenda. The team met with the Governor, Malam Umar Namadi and his cabinet members, and attended an Education Reform Dialogue convened by the Ministry of Basic Education and the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology in Jigawa State.

Headteacher Mohammed reports that PLANE’s interventions have resulted in higher enrolment rates, improved literacy skills, and increased motivation among teachers. Notably, students who previously had to reach Primary 4 or 5 before being able to read are now showing progress in reading and writing as early as Primary 1 and 2.

The maiden edition of the Basic Education in Nigeria Bootcamp (BEN-B) was organised by the Federal Ministry of Education in Uyo, Akwa Ibom from 25 to 28 September 2023. The event, with the theme “Improving access to inclusive education for all children in Nigeria towards achieving SDG4”, was supported by various partners including PLANE, UNICEF, The World Bank, British Council and USAID.

The transformation of classrooms through improvised instructional materials in Kano State has shown the power of creativity, determination, and community support. It further strengthens the quality of teaching and learning obtainable even in the face of resource constraints and aligns with PLANE’s mission in Nigeria to promote effective learning. As reported by some of the trained teachers, these improvised materials have improved engagement and interactions with pupils. Mathematics lessons and other subjects are now a more hands-on adventure with bottle cap counters and cardboard cutout shapes.

Partnership for Learning for All in Nigeria (PLANE) in September 2023 organised an intensive 5-day training workshop specifically designed for newly recruited teachers in Dutse, Jigawa State. The focus was on the programme’s inclusive package, which equips teachers with the best approaches and techniques for teaching foundational skills in Primary 1 and 2 in PLANE supported schools within Dutse Local Government Education Authority (LGEA).

Stakeholders from public and private sectors recently converged on The Zone, Lagos, for the NEDIS 2022 education innovation summit, aimed at highlighting the role of innovations in solving challenges facing​ the delivery of accessible and quality education.

In northern Nigeria, learning achievement in the primary grades is low, with less than half of children able to read a single word. The Partnership for Learning for All in Nigeria (PLANE), a seven-year project funded by the U.K. Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), seeks to improve learning outcomes for children in grades 1-6 and increase school enrollment. PLANE supports government partners at all levels to achieve this aim—with a goal of reaching 1.5 million learners. The early results show promising uptake and success.