UK-funded PLANE Programme Partners With Media To Advance Nigeria’s Education

On the heels of the International Day of Education 2025,

Partnership for Learning for All in Nigeria (PLANE), an education programme funded by the UK Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), has
called on journalists to use their platforms to drive change in the education sector by promoting accountability, highlighting challenges, and celebrating progress.

The call was made during a media parley in commemoration of the 2025 International Day of Education in Abuja on Wednesday.

The event also introduced the programme to key stakeholders in the media and seek their invaluable support in advancing education for all in Nigeria.

At the parley, senior officials of the PLANE programme revealed that it is a seven-year programme which started in 2021, with a mission to support the Nigerian government in improving learning outcomes in the basic education subsector.

Part of the achievements thus far include improving education delivery through policy improvement and capacity building of state and non-state education providers.

The programme through its transforming learning approach has reached over 1 million learners and 10,000 teachers with foundational learning packages in the target states of Kaduna, Kano and Jigawa.

Ian Attfield, Senior Education Adviser, British High Commission, said: “PLANE is a major UK investment, partnering with Nigeria to improve foundational reading and numeracy skills to address the learning crisis.

“By working together with the media, a powerful ally in promoting transparency and accountability, Nigeria and the UK can be held jointly accountable to ensure all girls and boys can access quality, inclusive education.”

PLANE at the media parley emphasised the pressing need for more inclusive, equitable, and innovative approaches to learning in Nigeria, and called for the collaboration of media as a critical stakeholder in driving policy awareness, advocacy, and implementation.

According to the Deputy National Team Lead, Sam Achimugu:
“PLANE looks to the media as vital partners in amplifying its mission and mobilising collective action. In the states where we work, we have recorded progress in addressing systemic challenges and promoting innovative learning solutions.

However, for improved outcomes in education nationally, there needs to be continuous advocacy on access and quality.”

In line with the theme of the International Day of Education, “AI and education: Preserving human agency in a world of automation,”, Mr. Attfield highlighted the transformative role of Artificial Intelligence and technology in education and how its adoption using an inclusive approach can improve learning outcomes among the underserved and persons with disabilities.

He commended the Federal Ministry of Education on its introduction of eLearn, a centralised digital platform that provides high quality, curriculum-aligned resources for learners and teachers from basic to tertiary level.

Launched in 2024, with PLANE’s support, the platform has modern accessibility features that create equitable access to educational resources.

Media stakeholders in attendance were charged to be change agents leveraging their platforms to tell the stories that matter, promote accountability, highlight both successes and challenges and inspire the needed change towards securing a brighter future for every Nigerian child, irrespective of their background or location.

Participants expressed a strong commitment to the cause, acknowledged the media’s transformative role and pledged continued support to advance education initiatives and discourse.