Native language education is helping children from the Kanuri ethnic group in northeast Nigeria learn in their indigenous language and improve their literacy and numeracy capacity.

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.

Recently, stakeholders from the public and private sectors gathered at The Zone in Lagos for the NEDIS 2022 Education Innovation Summit. The summit, hosted by The Education Partnership (TEP) Centre, focused on the theme “Reimagining the Future of Education in Africa: Bridging the Skills Gap.” During the event, participants discussed the importance of skills acquisition, particularly in the field of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), in primary schools.

Exciting news emerged from Kano state as the Partnership for Learning for All in Nigeria (PLANE), with the generous support of the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), inaugurated an inclusive education program in the Minjibir local government area. The Community Learning Hubs, a vital component of PLANE’s intervention in Kano, marks a significant step towards building a more inclusive and effective education system in Nigeria.