By Funmilayo Adeyemi
An International NGO, Partnership for Learning for All in Nigeria (PLANE), has partnered with the media to advance education for all in the country.
The Deputy Team Lead of PLANE, a UK-funded programme, Samuel Achimugu, stated this at a media parley to commemorate the 2025 International Day of Education.
Achimugu said that the support would look at the challenges confronting education in Nigeria and proffer solutions.
He said that the seven-year programme, which started in 2021 with a mission to support the Nigerian government, would help in improving the learning outcomes in the basic education sub-sector.
According to him, part of the achievements of the programme is 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 one million learners and 10,000 teachers, with foundational learning packages in the target states of Kaduna, Kano and Jigawa,” he said.
Achimugu stressed the need for getting education right at the foundational level through improvement in learning outcomes.
He also called for more inclusive, equitable and innovative approaches to learning in Nigeria, even as he sought for media collaboration in driving policy awareness, advocacy and implementation.
“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,” he said.
Also speaking, the Senior Education Adviser, British High Commission, Ian Attfield, described PLANE as a major UK investment, partnering with Nigeria to improve foundational reading and numeracy skills in addressing the learning crisis.
Attfield said that the UK government had earmarked about 60 million pounds for funding PLANE programmes as well as some of the UNICEF and Save the Children programmes in the country.
Attfield said that working together with the media, Nigeria and UK could be held jointly accountable in ensuring that all girls and boys had access to quality and inclusive education.
Speaking on the theme of the Day: “AI and Education: Preserving Human Agency in a World of Automation”, Attfield highlighted the transformative role of artificial intelligence and technology in education.
He commended the Federal Ministry of Education for the introduction of eLearn, a centralised digital platform that provides high quality, curriculum-aligned resources for learners and teachers from basic education to tertiary level. (NAN)
