1.8m Learners In Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano Benefit From UK-Funded Programme

A total of 1.8 million children in Kano, Kaduna and Jigawa States have benefitted from the United Kingdom (UK) government-funded Partnership for Learning for All in Nigeria (PLANE) programme.

It is implemented in collaboration with governments and education stakeholders in the affected states.

In an interview with LEADERSHIP, the deputy national team leader of PLANE, Samuel Achimugu, attributed the programme’s impact to its strong partnerships with state and federal governments, the deliberate alignment of interventions, and an innovative, evidence-based approach to improving learning outcomes.

Achimugu said PLANE focuses on strengthening foundational learning by working directly with teachers, school support officers and education authorities in selected local government areas, while supporting states to scale up successful interventions.

“We are promoting foundational learning in Kano, Kaduna and Jigawa, and we are doing this in partnership with the government. That partnership has yielded a lot of results.

“Our relationship with stakeholders has helped us drive reforms that are improving learning outcomes across the three states,” he added.

Achimugu explained that although PLANE typically pilots interventions in a limited number of local governments, several states have adopted and expanded these initiatives statewide.

He said that the teaching and learning materials developed by PLANE have been reproduced by state governments to support teacher training beyond the original pilot areas.

On measurable outcomes, Achimugu said assessments conducted by the programme show substantial progress, noting that through direct intervention, PLANE has influenced learning for about 1.5 million children, with an additional 300,000 reached through joint efforts with the government, bringing the total to approximately 1.8 million learners.

“The programme has operated in nearly 4,000 schools, directly supporting over 2,500 of them. In our areas of operation, we are seeing that about 55.6 per cent of children now demonstrate average foundational literacy, compared with much lower figures at baseline,” he said.

“In foundational numeracy, we are seeing results as high as 84 per cent, which we are extremely proud of,” Achimugu added.

He said Kaduna State is a clear example of progress, noting that foundational literacy levels improved from a baseline of 9.4 per cent to about 53.9 per cent, while numeracy rose from 33.3 per cent to 83.9 per cent.

“These results show that our approach, especially teacher training, coaching and mentoring, is working,” Achimugu said, adding that, “If the foundation is right, children can make better decisions and aspire to further education.”

Addressing the challenge of out-of-school children, particularly in northern Nigeria, Achimugu said PLANE’s strategy is to demonstrate models that work and to support governments in adopting and scaling them. He added that PLANE has supported education governance reforms by training government officials in procurement, financial management, and policy review, helping to strengthen systems at both the state and federal levels.

Results released as part of the 2025 learning assessment also demonstrated how PLANE interventions are driving improvements in teaching quality and pupil performance at the primary school level. In Jigawa State, PLANE said it has strengthened the education system and improved learning outcomes for children in Primary 1 to 4.