On Thursday 23 May 2024, DAI held a live panel discussion on Strengthening Nigerian Education Systems to Deliver at Scale. The session, moderated by Programme Director, Zehra Zaidi, featured the National Team Lead, Partnership for Learning for All in Nigeria (PLANE) programme, Dr Nguyan Feese; the Commissioner for Education in Kaduna State, Professor Muhammad Sani Bello; Senior Education Adviser, British High Commission in Nigeria, Ian Attfield; and the Country Director, DAI Nigeria, Dr Joe Abah.
Setting the tone for conversations, Dr. Abah Dr Joe Abah provided an analysis of the current economic transition in Nigeria, which is marked by high inflation (up to 50% in some areas), high cost of living, fuel subsidy removal, the devaluation of the naira and many other issues. He highlighted government strategies for tackling the learning crisis in Nigeria, emphasised the need for increased funding for basic education and urged government stakeholders to treat basic education as a constitutional right.
The Kaduna State Commissioner for Education highlighted the state’s SUSTAIN Agenda, with ‘I’ representing its prioritisation of investment in human capital, through education. He listed some initiatives including allocating 25% of the state’s annual budget to education, improving school safety and enhancing teacher quality through training. Ian Attfield explained the UK’s support through the PLANE programme, aimed at supporting and strengthening the education systems in Nigeria and improving learning outcomes. He noted that the UK sees education as a key building block in improving the prosperity of Nigeria and in ensuring stability.
Dr Nguyan Feese gave an overview on the key thematic focus areas of the PLANE Programme, outlining ongoing efforts to strengthen systems, train stakeholders, develop policies, improve data use, build school leadership capacity, and equip teachers. The panelists also addressed questions on the benefits of technology in education, the continuity of legacy FCDO programmes, state-federal alignment, and school safeguarding.
The panelist concluded by emphasising the importance of collective efforts to advance Nigeria’s education systems and address its learning crisis. Recognising that lasting change requires building relationships, fostering capacity and promoting public awareness. By creating a framework for sustainable improvements, PLANE aims to ensure that the positive impact extends well beyond the programme’s lifetime.
DAI hosted this expert panel session on the sidelines of the Education World Forum which took place in London from May 19-22, 2024. DAI is the lead implementation partner on the Partnership for Learning for All in Nigeria (PLANE) programme, funded by the UK Government’s Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office. The seven-year programme, which is now in its second year, is supporting the Nigerian government in transforming basic education delivery through policy reforms and foundational learning interventions.
