Funmi Ogundare

Oando Foundation in collaboration with Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) Africa, Quality Education Development Associates (QEDA), and Hilltrust Top Foundation, yesterday, unveiled the learning progress report, an initiative designed to tackle Nigeria’s learning crisis.
The report deploys evidence-based approaches to improve foundational learning especially for pupils in Ebonyi, Plateau, Sokoto, and Adamawa States.
Speaking at the Foundational Learning Improvement Programme (LEARNOVATE – FLIP) dissemination workshop, in Abuja, to highlight its impact through community-based learning hubs, localised teaching materials, the Head , OANDO Foundation, Tonia Uduimoh called for urgent action to address Nigeria’s deepening learning crisis. She warning that 70 per cent of children cannot read with understanding or solve basic math problems, while nearly 9 million remain out of school.
She explained that the programme has shown that with innovation, collaboration, and community ownership, Nigeria can reverse its education challenges.
“Statistics remain sobering, and if left unaddressed, this crisis will continue to limit opportunities for our young people and weaken Nigeria’s competitiveness in the global economy,” she said.
FLIP, she noted, was launched in Adamawa, Ebonyi, Plateau, and Sokoto States to strengthen literacy and numeracy among pupils. The initiative introduced Early Grade Reading (EGR) in mother tongue for pupils in Primary one to three and applied the Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) model for primary four to six pupils who had advanced without mastering basic skills.
According to Uduimoh, the programme has strengthened teacher capacity, enhanced school support systems, developed culturally relevant assessment tools, and tested scalable models to improve learning outcomes.
She explained that the dissemination workshop provided an opportunity to share results, reflect on lessons learned, and chart strategies for policy integration, financing, and multi-stakeholder collaboration to sustain progress.
“We must move beyond pilots and into systemic change, ensuring that every Nigerian child has the foundation they need to learn, grow, and thrive,” she added, expressing gratitude to all partners involved in the initiative.
In his remarks, Nurudeen Lawal, Founder of QEDA, commended the foundation for its support in driving learning improvements across Nigeria, describing such intervention as humbling and inspiring.
He noted that the foundation’s commitment comes at a time when most international funding streams have become constricted.
“For the past 15 to 20 years, we have been working to improve learning outcomes in Nigeria and across Sub-Saharan Africa,” Lawal said. “At a time when global support is shrinking, seeing the Oando Foundation keep the fire burning is deeply inspiring. It gives hope to other organisations that they too can play a role in transforming education in Nigeria.”
Lawal also commended the strong backing from state governments and education boards in sone states where commissioners, SUBEB chairpersons and teachers have shown active involvement in teacher training, material development, and learning initiatives.
He stressed that while early signs of impact are visible, the scale of the challenge remains daunting. “Nigeria has nearly 40 million school-age children. In one state alone, there are almost 5 million children in primary school, about the same as the entire population of Rwanda. This reminds us that the task ahead is massive and requires home-grown, sustainable solutions,” he added.
The QEDA founder urged more corporate and philanthropic organisations to emulate the Oando Foundation by investing in education and helping to close the learning gaps in Nigeria.
“As I look at the faces of the children, I see the future of Nigeria. If they succeed, Nigeria will succeed,” Lawal said.
The Country Director, Teach at the right Level (TaRL), Hafsatu Hamza expressed concern about the issue of out-of-school children and the learning poverty trajectory in Nigeria.
She stated that when investment is made on innovative approaches, it will bring about improvements in the classrooms.
“We must continue to champion foundation learning and build resilience in the children so that they can develop their potentials,” she stated, commending the foundation for ensuring that no child is left behind.
The Country Director of Teach at the Right Level (TaRL), Hafsatu Hamza, expressed concerns over Nigeria’s growing out-of-school population and the deepening learning poverty across the country. She emphasised that greater investment in innovative teaching approaches would significantly improve classroom outcomes.
“We must continue to champion foundational learning and build resilience in children so they can fully develop their potential,” Hamza said, commending Oando foundation for its commitment to ensuring that no child is left behind.
Program Coordinator of HillTrust Top Foundation, Dr. Adeyemo Adeyemi, also expressed delight at the initiative, noting that resources invested are already yielding positive results.
Similarly, the Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Aisha Garba, represented by Deputy Director in the commission, Patience Obasi, stressed the importance of stronger collaborations with stakeholders. She commended the foundation for its contributions to basic education, particularly in strengthening foundational learning.
“When our children acquire reading skills early, their overall learning outcomes improve,” she said.
Director of Basic Education at the Federal Ministry of Education, Dr. Folake Olatunji-David, described foundational learning as the bedrock of education, underscoring the need for well-trained teachers.
“The educational development of our children is a shared responsibility,” she stated. “This initiative has spotlighted teacher development and evidence-based policy as critical to ensuring effective learning.”
She called on all stakeholders to scale up the model, adding: “Together, we can reduce learning poverty and guarantee that no child is left behind.”

The post FLIP: Oando Foundation Partners QEDA, Others to Improve Foundational Learning in Nigeria appeared first on THISDAYLIVE.

​