More than 5,000 children who had dropped out of school are back in classrooms after an intervention by the Oando Foundation.
The initiative, part of the foundation’s Foundational Learning Improvement Programme (FLIP), was piloted in 60 schools across Ebonyi, Plateau and Sokoto States. It provided literacy and numeracy support for early learners, alongside remedial classes for older pupils.
Data from the project show marked gains: in Ebonyi, pupils achieving minimum reading proficiency rose from 16.8% to 65.9%, while Plateau recorded an increase from 2.8% to 44.4%. Officials say more than 42,000 pupils also benefited from awareness sessions on hygiene, gender-based violence and school safety, while 120 community reading hubs reached over 10,000 learners.
Despite the progress, challenges such as teacher absenteeism and economic hardship remain. UNICEF estimates that 8.9 million Nigerian children of primary school age are still out of school, while 70% cannot read with understanding.
Education stakeholders at the strategy meeting in Abuja called on state governments to adopt the model. “This programme has shown it is possible to turn the tide,” said Otivie Igbuzor, a trustee of the foundation.
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