FG, Govs forum, UNICEF, move to bridge gaps in Nigeria learning process

From Mika’il Tsoho, Dutse

The Federal Ministry of Education, Universal Basic Education Commission, the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and UNICEF pledged to take decisive measures against the Learning Crisis in Nigeria.
This was contained in a statement signed by the UNICEF communication officer Mr Samuel Kaalu and made it available to news men.
According to the statement, the commitment follows the two-day National Conference on the Learning Crisis held on 18 and 19 October in Abuja.
“The conference provided a platform for participants to dissect the magnitude of the educational challenge. Various driving factors, including the lack of quality in educational investments, the dire need for enhanced teacher training, and the accessibility to superior textbooks in indigenous languages, were spotlighted.
“The conference spotlighted successful educational models such as the Reading and Numeracy Activity (RANA) and TaRL (Teaching at the Right Level). The former has shown remarkable progress in elevating reading skills for Grades 1-3 students in both English and Hausa languages, catering to formal and Integrated Quranic Schools”, the statement said.
According to the statement, strong voices from Federal and State officials, international donors, development partners and the private sector culminated in the creation of a ‘Framework of Action.
The proposed framework underscores the significance of teacher training, advanced teaching tools, tech-integrated learning, and performance assessments.
During the meeting, Government stakeholders, led by the Minister of State for Education, Dr. Tanko Yusuf Sununu, and the Nigeria Governor’s Forum Chairman, Dr. AbdulRazaq AbdulRahman, called for strong political leadership, commitment and collective action to solve the learning crisis.
“We would consolidate our partnership and collaboration with the federal government, development partners and critical stakeholders in the education sector to address these challenges,” added Governor Makinde.
In her goodwill message, Jana Wooden, Education Director, United State Agency for International Development Agency (USAID) said: “USAID is committed to supporting inclusive foundational learning programmes through collaboration with the Ministry of Education, civil society organization, implementing partners and other donors to meet the needs of children and youth in Nigeria and globally.”