Nigeria: UK-Funded Education Programme, Plane Closes After Reaching 2m Nigerian Children

What the report says

A UK-funded education initiative in northern Nigeria has ended after seven years, with AllAfrica’s source article reporting that the Partnership for Learning for All in Nigeria (PLANE) reached more than two million children and trained over 25,000 teachers. The close-out event was held in Kaduna, where officials said the programme had focused on foundational literacy and numeracy, education in emergencies, teacher development and safer school systems.

According to the report, education commissioners from Kaduna, Kano, Jigawa, Borno and Yobe pledged to sustain reforms introduced under PLANE. The UK-backed project was implemented with partners including DAI, UNICEF and Save the Children, and worked with federal and state education structures since 2019. Speakers at the event said the next challenge is preserving the learning gains after external funding ends and integrating successful approaches into public systems.

Kaduna State officials highlighted the programme’s reach in the state, including teacher and head-teacher training, distribution of learning materials, community-based learning and support for children who had returned to school. The article also notes that the programme supported data systems and policy work intended to improve planning. The closure comes as Nigeria continues to face long-standing education challenges, particularly access to quality learning and foundational skills for children in underserved communities.