UK-Funded Education Programme Closes After Reaching 2 Million Nigerian Children

After seven years of operation, the UK-funded Partnership to Accelerate Learning in Northern Nigeria (PLANE) has come to an end, reaching over 2 million Nigerian children. The programme, which aimed to improve learning outcomes in five northern states, has now ended, leaving a gap in education reform efforts. According to a report by THISDAYLIVE, the partners involved in the programme face a test of sustaining learning gains as the £315 million initiative draws to a close. The states involved in the programme, which included Kaduna, Bauchi, Gombe, Jigawa, and Kano, have vowed to sustain the education reforms initiated by PLANE. It remains unclear how the partners will continue to fund these efforts moving forward. The PLANE programme was launched in 2019 with the aim of improving learning outcomes in the five northern states, with a particular focus on primary education. The programme aimed to achieve this through a variety of interventions, including teacher training, infrastructure development, and the provision of learning materials. According to THISDAYLIVE, the programme has been successful in increasing enrollment rates and improving learning outcomes, particularly in reading and numeracy. It is unclear when the programme began operating, as this information was not provided in the report.