PLANE’s Accelerated Learning Holiday Camps demonstrate concrete evidence-based examples of what is possible when school holidays are used deliberately to support learning recovery in environments where there is high learning loss.

This pilot model and related evidence demonstrate that short, structured and activity-based learning cycles can produce measurable improvements in literacy and numeracy within a few weeks, while also rebuilding learner confidence and strengthening community engagement with schools.
As PLANE’s role evolves, this learning brief is intended to serve as a practical reference and guide for state governments and partners seeking to adopt, adapt and institutionalise the model within their own foundational learning strategies, contributing to sustained progress for all children across Nigeria.

We are delighted to announce the relaunch of PLANE’s external newsletter, beginning this September 2025. More than just an update, we hope this quarterly edition of our newsletter will be a platform to further support coordination with our stakeholders in the education sector, amplifying voices, celebrating partnerships, and reflecting on the positive impact we are achieving together across our programme areas.

Foundational skills of reading, writing and mathematics set children on the path to success and lifelong learning. Yet, despite the recommendation by the United Nations that every child should have these skills by the age of 10, almost 90 per cent of children in sub-Saharan Africa are lagging behind. In Nigeria, about 70% of children have difficulty reading or understanding simple text (UNICEF, 2022).

With millions of children out-of-school in Nigeria, many of those currently in school are also not learning as they should. About half of those who attend primary schools, which is constitutionally compulsory and free, do not achieve basic proficiency in literacy and numeracy. In the northern part of the country, the percentage drops even further, with only 10% of 7–14-year-olds in the Northwest and 12% in the Northeast able to read. The learning crisis in Nigeria is fueled by many factors, including overcrowded classrooms, lack of competent teachers, shortage of learning materials in schools, and poor infrastructure. In this paper, we explore how the FCDO-funded Partnership for Learning for All in Nigerian (PLANE) programme is transforming foundational skills education in target states through the adoption of evidence-based instruction and learning materials, ongoing monitoring, and community support.

Inspired by the measurable gains achieved through the UK-funded Partnership for Learning for All in Nigeria (PLANE) programme in selected local government areas (LGAs), the Jigawa State Government is scaling up PLANE’s evidence-based foundational learning initiatives across all its 27 LGAs. Building on proven results in seven pilot areas, this expansion includes recruiting and training teachers, reproducing instructional materials, and continuing free education for girls – a major move toward improving learning outcomes for every child.

Learning loss remains a significant challenge in Nigeria, particularly in the northern regions where the academic calendar is frequently disrupted due to factors such as floods, farming seasons and socio-cultural practices. To help children recover lost learning time and provide struggling learners with a chance to catch up outside regular school hours, the Partnership for Learning for All in Nigeria (PLANE) piloted an Accelerated Learning Holiday Camp in December 2024 in Jigawa, Kaduna and Kano states. At least 11,597 pupils (51 percent being girls) participated in the programme, which was held in 300 camps across the three states. Assessments conducted at the end of the camp showed significant improvement in the abilities of the learners. Download to read more.

Non-state Schools in Nigeria (NSN), also known a independent/private schools, or non-government schools, are educational institutions that are not directly funded or managed by the government. They are typically financed by tuition payments, as well as donations from individuals, businesses, communities, faith-based organisations, and foundations.

The National Policy on Non-State Schools in Nigeria (NPNSN) 2024 was initiated by the Federal Ministry of Education in collaboration with state governments, the Non-state Schools Association (NSA), and other stakeholders. It was developed in response to the growing role and challenges of non-state schools in Nigeria (NSNs). The Federal Government, through the Universal Basic Education (UBEC) Act of 2004, is supporting states to improve education at the basic and post-basic levels. The Universal Basic Education (UBE) initiative in Nigeria is designed to enhance education accessibility and quality, essential for national development.

Nigeria faces a critical challenge with out-of-school children (OOSC), with 2023 estimates indicating that 8.9 million primary school-age children and 3.9 million junior secondary school-age children are not attending school.1 While the majority of OOSC are concentrated in the northeast and northwest, numbers are rising in other regions, including the south.2 Despite long-standing recognition of […]

This School Opening (SO) study is the second report of the Human Development Evaluation Learning and Verification Service (DELVe) Technical Assistance and Research workstream on School Opening and Attendance (SOA) for the Partnership for Learning for All in Nigeria (PLANE) Portfolio programmes, FCDO Nigeria’s flagship education programme. FCDO commissioned this Phase 2 School Opening (SO2) […]

In 2023-2024, PLANE worked with Jigawa State to implement literacy and mathematics programming in seven local government areas (LGAs): Dutse, Gagarawa, Jahun, Kafin Hausa, Malam Madori, Taura and  Yankwashi, reaching 145,289 children in Primary 1-3in 750 schools.  Programming focused on teacher training, coaching,  mentoring and  book distribution. In October 2023 and July 2024, PLANE and government partners collected learning outcomes data in Primary 2 and 3, using the Early Grade Reading Assessment (EGRA) and Early Grade Math Assessment (EGMA), with 4 LGAs and 34 schools sampled.

Nigerian children are not learning foundational skills – maths, basic reading and writing in Hausa and in English. This lack of basic skills undermines their ability to transition into junior and upper secondary and, subsequently, enter the employment market with the skills and abilities that enable them to maximise their opportunities. In response to this […]

Nigeria faces a learning crisis. Over 10 million primary age children are out of school and of those who are enrolled,as many as 40% do not attend regularly. Teacher shortages, inadequate funding and resourcing, lack of capacityin school monitoring and supervision, as well as leadership challenges compound the profound problem ofequitable access to quality basic […]