FG targets 39m children for improved learning, trains education

From Isaac Job, Uyo

The Federal Government has commenced a major education intervention aimed at exposing 39 million Nigerian children to improved learning, with emphasis on literacy and numeracy at the basic education level.

The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), which is driving the programme in partnership with the World Bank, has also begun capacity-building for education officials and teachers as part of measures to improve classroom outcomes across the country.

Executive Secretary of UBEC, Aisha Garba, disclosed this in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, at the opening of a four-day Area 1 Regional Thematic Workshop on Structured Pedagogy Package (SPP) for states in the South-South and South-East geopolitical zones.

Garba said the programme represented a major step in the Federal Government’s efforts to strengthen basic education and improve learning outcomes under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

“This gathering is not just another training session; it is a defining moment in our collective mission to strengthen the foundations of basic education in Nigeria.

“Education remains the cornerstone of national development,” she said. Garba, who was represented by UBEC Director in the South-South, Dr. Akpan Ossom Udo, said the intervention was being implemented in partnership with the World Bank under the HOPEEDU programme.

She said the workshop, themed, “Strengthening Foundations: Implementing the Structured Pedagogy Package,” would equip relevant education agencies with tools, strategies and accountability mechanisms required to transform teaching and learning.

According to her, the first component of the Structured Pedagogy Package would strengthen teaching and learning materials, teacher training and learning assessment, with particular emphasis on improving literacy and numeracy.

“This evidence-based approach is designed to measurably improve literacy and numeracy outcomes,” she said.

Garba said another component would focus on the book supply chain and a track-and-trace system to ensure that instructional materials reached the intended schools and pupils while improving transparency and accountability.

“The second workshop on the Book Supply Chain and Track-and-Trace System will ensure that quality materials reach the right schools and students, with transparency and accountability at every stage,” she said.

She added that UBEC would intensify teacher training as part of efforts to address poor learning outcomes in the basic education system.

“Result Area 1 challenges us to ensure that every Nigerian child can read, write and count with confidence.

“The Structured Pedagogy Package is our instrument of change — from teacher training to transparent book supply chains.

“Together, we must lay a strong foundation that will endure for generations. We stand at the beginning of a journey with the power to transform basic education in Nigeria,” Garba said.

Programme Manager, Dr. Aisha Abdul, said UBEC had been working with the World Bank, consultants, education experts and state governments since February to prepare for the implementation of the reforms.

“Since February, we have worked closely with the World Bank team, consultants, experts and states to prepare the ground for reforms that this workshop will now help translate into action,” she said.

Abdul disclosed that the programme ultimately targets 39 million children across Nigeria, alongside the training of teachers to improve the quality of classroom instruction.

“Our target is to make sure that 39 million children are exposed to quality learning while teachers will be trained to achieve this objective.

“Together, we can ensure that the foundations we lay here in Akwa Ibom will echo in classrooms across Nigeria for generations to come,” she said.