UK urges five northern states to sustain education reforms

The United Kingdom and five northern states have pledged to sustain education reforms introduced under the Partnership for Learning for All in Nigeria programme, following the closure of its three strategic windows.

The states are Kaduna, Kano, Jigawa, Borno and Yobe.

The programme, funded by the UK and implemented by DAI, UNICEF, Save the Children and other partners, reached more than two million children and supported the training of over 25,000 teachers and facilitators across northern Nigeria.

Speaking at the programme’s close-out event in Kaduna on Wednesday, the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Pete Vowles, said the initiative had demonstrated the importance of partnerships in improving learning outcomes and strengthening education systems.

He, however, stressed that the real test of the programme’s success would be the ability of Nigerian institutions to sustain its achievements after its closure.

“PLANE has demonstrated the power of partnership between governments, teachers, communities and development partners,” Vowles said.

He added, “While we are celebrating the achievements of the programme today, the most important question is what happens next.

“We are encouraged to see successful approaches being adopted and scaled by Nigerian institutions, ensuring that improvements in learning continue long after the programme ends.

“PLANE is closing. The UK’s education partnership with Nigeria is not.”

The event brought together Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani; education commissioners and officials from the five participating states; representatives of the Federal Ministry of Education; teachers and development partners to review the programme’s achievements and discuss how its interventions could be sustained.

The Kaduna State Commissioner for Education, Prof. Abubakar Sambo, said the programme had strengthened the state’s education system through teacher development, the distribution of learning materials and improvements in education policies and data management.

Sambo disclosed that more than 25,000 out-of-school children had returned to learning across the state’s 23 local government areas through interventions targeting children who had missed formal schooling.

He said over 6,300 teachers and nearly 700 head teachers were trained under PLANE, while 737,000 learning materials were distributed to schools.

According to him, 76,125 learners benefited from community-based learning, including 40,958 girls and 4,389 children with disabilities.

The commissioner added that 1,345 adolescents participated in life-skills clubs, while 2,811 children received assistance through child-protection interventions. He said 144 savings groups also helped families keep their children in school.

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“The seeds sown under PLANE are already bearing fruit,” Sambo said, adding that teachers trained through the programme were now working in learning centres serving out-of-school children.

He said the Kaduna State Government would build on the gains, noting that PLANE had complemented existing policies, community structures and education plans.

Sambo also disclosed that the State Universal Basic Education Board had delivered more than 2,000 classrooms, while the state sponsored over 136,000 candidates for the West African Examinations Council and other terminal examinations in 2024.

The Borno State Commissioner for Education, Abba Wakilbe, said the programme’s legacy would depend on what participating states did after its closure.

“The legacy of PLANE will not be measured by what it has done, but by what we achieve from it afterwards,” Wakilbe said.

Similarly, the Yobe State Commissioner for Education, Prof. Idris Abba, expressed appreciation for the programme’s interventions, while the Kano State Commissioner for Education, Dr Ali Haruna Makoda, commended its contributions to education development.

Makoda said Kano had recorded improved performance in National Examinations Council examinations.

The Head of Development Cooperation at the British High Commission in Nigeria, Cynthia Rowe, said the programme’s achievements showed the benefits of combining evidence, innovation and partnerships to improve education.

“Education is one of the most important investments any country can make in its future,” Rowe said.

She added that the UK would continue to support Nigeria through partnerships with governments, schools, universities and communities.

“As the programme closes, we look forward to building on these successes through continued collaboration with government, schools, universities and communities across Nigeria,” she said.

As part of the visit, UK representatives also visited the College of Petroleum and Energy Studies in Kaduna, where partnerships between Nigerian institutions and UK universities are helping students acquire advanced technical and professional skills.