Oando Foundation has facilitated the return of over 5,000 out-of-school children to the classroom, in a stride toward reducing educational disparity in Nigeria through its Foundational Learning Improvement Programme (FLIP), implemented under its LEARNOVATE strategy.
Tonia Uduimoh, head of the Oando Foundation, speaking at the foundation’s strategy dissemination activities held in Abuja recently, said the event marked the conclusion of the pilot phase and brought together education stakeholders to review programme results and discuss scaling strategies.
Uduimoh explained that FLIP launched in 2024 was piloted in 60 public primary schools across six local government areas in Ebonyi, Plateau, and Sokoto States.
“The programme addresses literacy and numeracy challenges among pupils in Primary one to three, and offers remedial support for older pupils who have progressed without mastering foundational skills.
“Not fewer than 5,162 out-of-school children were re-enrolled, with more than 2,000 of them receiving learning materials,” she said.
In addition, Uduimoh said that over 42,000 pupils were reached through awareness sessions covering hygiene, gender-based violence, and school safety.
According to data from the Early Grade Reading Assessment (EGRA) there are notable improvements in learning outcomes, especially in Ebonyi and Plateau States.
“In Ebonyi, where instruction was in Igbo, the percentage of pupils attaining minimum proficiency rose from 16.8 percent to 65.9 percent. Plateau, which used English as the medium of instruction, recorded an increase from 2.8 percent to 44.4 percent. Sokoto, where instruction was in Hausa, showed modest gains.”
Besides, the data revealed disparities in performance based on age, gender, and socio-economic background, with older children and those from higher-income households generally performing better.
The Oando Foundation programme had 312 teachers and headteachers trained in early grade reading practices. Over 19,000 teaching materials and 21,600 supplementary reading resources were distributed.
School oversight systems were strengthened through the training of 112 education officials and the reactivation of 60 School-Based Management Committees (SBMCs).
Furthermore, Uduimoh said to extend learning beyond the classroom, the foundation established 120 community reading hubs, which served more than 10,800 learners.
“Social and emotional learning (SEL) was integrated into classroom teaching, with evaluations indicating progress in pupils’ interpersonal and decision-making skills,” she noted.
However, she said that despite these successes, several challenges were encountered.
“These include teacher absenteeism, learner dropouts due to economic hardship, limited capacity among education officers, outdated education policies, and low engagement from SBMCs,” she said.
Nonetheless, she said that the foundation highlighted that timely provision of resources, stronger school accountability, and community participation were key enablers of success.
She reiterated that the foundation advocates for increased investment in teacher training, better support for school administrators, and the reform of education governance frameworks.
Moreover, it advocates for stronger collaboration with civil society and the inclusion of livelihood support initiatives to reduce the economic barriers that keep children out of school.
UNICEF reports that 70 percent of Nigerian children cannot read with understanding or solve basic mathematics problems.
Additionally, 8.9 million primary school-aged children remain out of school, while 12.5 million youths are not engaged in education, employment, or training, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (2024).
She explained that FLIP in response to these challenges adopted a mixed-methods approach across four states; Adamawa, Ebonyi, Plateau, and Sokoto.
The Early Grade Reading (EGR) model emphasised mother-tongue instruction for younger pupils, while the Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) model provided remedial learning for older children who had advanced without essential skills.
Otivie Igbuzor, Oando Foundation’s board of trustees member, called on state governments to adopt the foundation’s education programme, citing its potential to improve the country’s basic education system.
“The learning environment and outcomes have been poor. We see people who have finished primary school, yet they cannot read and are not numerate. This programme from Oando Foundation has addressed that,” Igbuzor said.
Igbuzor emphasized the pilot programme has shown measurable improvements in literacy and numeracy among primary school students.
He stressed that education is essential to national development and urged all states, along with the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) and State Universal Basic Education Boards (SUBEBs), to adopt the programme.
“This should be adopted nationwide. Every state, along with UBEC and all SUBEBs, should implement it so that every child can benefit,” he said.
The programme, which costs N30,000 per child, is considered a cost-effective model capable of delivering improved learning outcomes.
If adopted, the Oando Foundation’s model could help address literacy and numeracy deficits in Nigeria’s basic education system and support better learning outcomes for students across the country.
