Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, has highlighted successes recorded in Nigeria’s education sector under President Bola Tinubu, saying the reforms would have lasting impact on future generations.
The minister spoke during a special roundtable session at the Education World Forum in London, United Kingdom, where he engaged education ministers and global stakeholders on Nigeria’s foundational learning reforms.
In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Communications, Alausa said Nigeria had successfully unified foundational literacy delivery under a single national standard covering both formal and non-formal education systems.
According to him, the government is scaling the RANA programme for Primary One to Three pupils and the Teaching at the Right Level initiative for Primary Four to Six across 15 states through the Universal Basic Education Commission.
He explained that the programmes use structured lesson plans, weekly teacher coaching and regular assessments to improve learning outcomes.
The minister also said the Accelerated Basic Education Programme developed by the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council provides foundational literacy and numeracy education for out-of-school children and adolescents within three years.
Alausa noted that both formal and non-formal education tracks now report into the National Education Data Initiative, enabling the government to monitor coverage from a single dashboard.
He cited EKOEXCEL, KwaraLEARN and BayelsaPRIME as examples of state led reforms already producing measurable improvements in literacy and learning outcomes.
According to the minister, KwaraLEARN reduced foundational learning deficiencies within two years, while BayelsaPRIME improved literacy levels significantly within 19 weeks.
On policy reforms, Alausa said foundational literacy and numeracy remain central to President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, adding that the Federal Government is finalising a National Policy on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy.
He also disclosed plans to increase the Universal Basic Education Commission’s share of the Consolidated Revenue Fund from two to four per cent to boost funding for basic education.
The minister said the government is also addressing the out-of-school children crisis through the Accelerated Basic Education Programme, which provides pathways for children outside the formal school system to transition into Junior Secondary School.
Alausa added that Nigeria has shifted focus from educational inputs to measurable learning outcomes, expressing confidence that ongoing reforms would significantly reduce learning poverty nationwide.
