Nigeria education programme reaches 2 million children

The Partnership for Learning for All in Nigeria (PLANE) supported more than 2 million children and trained over 25,000 teachers and facilitators across northern Nigeria since 2019.

A consortium including DAI, UNICEF, and Save the Children implemented the UK-funded initiative to improve literacy, numeracy, and child protection for vulnerable children. Government officials and education stakeholders gathered in Kaduna to mark the conclusion of the programme.

During the event, Pete Vowles, the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, stated that while the PLANE programme is ending, the UK's partnership with Nigeria continues. He noted that the project proved how collaboration between governments and communities can improve learning results. State leaders urged other governments to take ownership of the progress made by the programme. Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani, represented by Hadiza Sabuwa Balarabe, called on state governments to integrate these interventions into their own budgets and policies.

The governor reported that basic school enrolment in Kaduna rose from 2.17 million in 2022 to more than 2.57 million in 2025. Education officials from the Federal Ministry of Education and Kaduna State emphasized that long-term success depends on school attendance and retention. The Kaduna State Commissioner for Education, Abubakar Sani Sambo, reported that more than 25,000 out-of-school children returned to learning in the state.

Borno State Commissioner for Education, Abba Lawan Wakilbe, added that the legacy of the project will depend on what governments achieve after the programme closes.