Nigeria’s struggle with the world’s largest out-of-school population has found an unlikely bright spot in Kwara State, where an aggressive mix of funding, discipline, new technology and teacher recruitment is beginning to turn classrooms around.
The state has accessed more than ₦14.2 billion in federal matching grants after clearing years of arrears, allowing the renovation or construction of 600 schools across all 16 local government areas. Water, sanitation and new furniture have been added to classrooms, while more than 3,400 staff have been hired in the past year. The flagship KwaraLEARN digital initiative, now active in 870 schools, tracks lessons in real time and has already lifted literacy and numeracy scores for some 120,000 pupils. Targeted drives have also brought more than 2,300 children back into classrooms, including nomadic and street children often excluded from official data.
Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, Kwara’s governor and chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, says the approach can be replicated nationwide. The Forum last week hosted a dialogue in Abuja on foundational learning, urging states to take ownership of reforms. Education officials describe Kwara as a “pacesetter”. The challenge now is whether other states will follow.
