Through sensitisation and capacity-building efforts supported by the UK-funded Partnership for Learning for All in
Nigeria (PLANE) programme, education administrators in Jigawa, Kaduna and Kano states are increasingly integrating
gender and social inclusion (GESI) principles into basic education planning and delivery. This reflects a growing
commitment to building a more inclusive and equitable learning environment across the three states. New initiatives
are emerging.

In Jigawa, Kaduna, and Kano states, a quiet but powerful movement is taking root. Education gatekeepers – including headteachers, teachers, administrators, and social mobilisation officers are leading efforts to protect children both in schools and communities.

It began with targeted safeguarding training and continued support from the UK-funded Partnership for Learning for All in Nigeria (PLANE) programme. Armed with knowledge and a renewed sense of responsibility, these gatekeepers are now raising awareness about the importance of child protection.

In Jigawa, Kaduna, and Kano states, a quiet but powerful movement is taking root. Education gatekeepers – including headteachers, teachers, administrators, and social mobilisation officers are leading efforts to protect children both in schools and communities.

It began with targeted safeguarding training and continued support from the UK-funded Partnership for Learning for All in Nigeria (PLANE) programme. Armed with knowledge and a renewed sense of responsibility, these gatekeepers are now raising awareness about the importance of child protection.

Since its inception, the UK-funded Partnership for Learning for All (PLANE) programme has
supported Kano State in improving learning outcomes for children, with efforts focused
on four LGAs: Gabasawa, Karaye, Minjibir, and Takai. Following positive results, the state
government is expanding the programme to five more LGAs: Danbatta, Gaya, Gwarzo,
Madobi, and Makoda, partnering with PLANE to train teachers and producing 5,000 copies of
Mathematics and Literacy Teacher Guides.

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.

In March 2025, the PLANE programme, in collaboration with the Kaduna State Government, conducted a baseline assessment to evaluate the early grade reading and mathematical skills of learners in selected Tsangaya schools in five (5) intervention LGAs in Kaduna State. The results from a sample size of 25 schools and 250 learners reveal a worrying trend in both Hausa literacy and numeracy. You can download to read the findings and key recommendations captured in an advocacy brief here

In October 2023 and July 2024, PLANE and government partners collected learning outcomes data in Primary 2 and 3 in Kaduna state, using the Early Grade Reading Assessment (EGRA) and Early Grade Math Assessment (EGMA), with 6 LGAs and 43 schools sampled. Learners improved during the 2023-2024 school year, with children performing higher overall in mathematics. However, children did not quite meet the 50% improvement target set for the year.

In 2023-2024, PLANE worked with Kano State to implement Foundational Learning in four local government areas (LGAs): Gabasawa, Karaye, Minjibir, and Takai, reaching 151,370 children in Primary 1-3 in 532 schools. The programme also implemented Accelerated Learning (AL) in seven LGAs: Bichi, Bunkure, Dawakin Tofa, Rimin Gado, Ungogo, Warawa, and Wudil, reaching 113,641 pupils in Primary 4, 5, and 6in 580 schools. In October 2023 and July 2024, PLANE and government partners collected learning outcomes data in sample schools.

The Federal Ministry of Education has revised the National Policy on Inclusive Education (2023) to ensure that learners from all social, cultural and economic backgrounds and of all abilities has unhindered access to free, quality, safe and inclusive education. Click here to read the executive summary developed with PLANE’s support.

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.

PLANE has successfully developed literacy and mathematics materials for Primary 1-3 students, along with read-aloud anthologies and teacher guides to simplify the experiences of teachers and aid their delivery in the classroom. The materials, which are in alignment with the Nigerian National Primary Curriculum and global best practices are linguistically and culturally relevant, written entirely in Hausa and in collaboration with local stakeholders. The foundational learning materials use a learner-centered approach to instruction that will ultimately improve both teaching practices and learning outcomes in primary schools. These resources will transform teaching and learning by meeting teachers and pupils where they are, in their own language and then helping them to apply the same skills in another language of wider communication.