Alausa: FG Adopts Triennial Learning Assessment to Tackle Learning Poverty

Alausa: FG Adopts Triennial Learning Assessment to Tackle Learning Poverty

The Federal Government has announced that Nigeria will institutionalise the National Learning Assessment (NLA) every three years as part of a broader strategy to combat learning poverty, improve the quality of education, and strengthen evidence-based policymaking across the country.

Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, disclosed the development on Friday while monitoring the ongoing 2026 National Learning Assessment in selected public and private schools in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The minister visited Government Secondary School (GSS), Kuje; Junior Secondary School (JSS), Kuje Central; and Topaz Model School, Kuje, to assess the nationwide exercise, which is being conducted simultaneously across the 36 states and the FCT.

According to Alausa, the assessment covers pupils in Primary Three and Primary Five, as well as students in Junior Secondary School (JSS) Two and Senior Secondary School (SSS) Two. The exercise evaluates learners’ proficiency in literacy, numeracy, cognitive development, and other foundational competencies needed for academic success.

He said the Federal Government has resolved to make the National Learning Assessment a regular exercise every three years, noting that the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) has been directed to begin making budgetary provisions for the programme from 2029.

According to the minister, the assessment will provide reliable national data to measure learning outcomes, identify gaps in teaching and learning, and guide policy reforms aimed at improving Nigeria’s education sector.

“The importance of learning assessment is that we need to know the quality of education we are providing to pupils and students at the primary, junior secondary and senior secondary levels and determine whether they are actually learning.

“It is a standard instrument that enables us to evaluate education outcomes across different school levels. The last assessment was conducted by UBEC in 2023, while the previous one was carried out by the Federal Ministry of Education in 2019. Going forward, it will be conducted every three years,” the minister said.

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Alausa noted that the initiative is a direct response to Nigeria’s persistent learning poverty, where many children struggle to read and understand age-appropriate texts by the age of 10.

He recalled that previous estimates indicated more than 42 million Nigerian children were affected by learning poverty, although the figures were based on earlier data. He expressed confidence that ongoing education reforms under the current administration would significantly improve learning outcomes nationwide.

“We need accurate data to benchmark literacy and numeracy levels and design targeted interventions that will improve learning outcomes across the country,” he added.

The minister also announced that the Federal Government has harmonised the different learning assessment models previously used by education agencies into a single National Learning Assessment framework.

According to him, the unified system will ensure consistency in data collection, enable meaningful comparison of learning outcomes over time, and support more effective planning, curriculum reforms, teacher development, and resource allocation. He explained that the initiative forms part of the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative (NESRI) and aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s agenda on human capital development and education reform.

The ongoing 2026 exercise is Nigeria’s first nationwide National Learning Assessment conducted simultaneously across all states and the FCT after months of preparation involving the Federal Ministry of Education, UBEC, development partners, and education stakeholders.

The assessment is strictly diagnostic and is not an examination for promotion or certification. Instead, it is designed to generate credible national data on students’ learning achievements and help policymakers develop targeted interventions to improve educational outcomes. Learners are being assessed in English Language, Mathematics, Basic Science and Technology, Citizenship and Heritage Studies, alongside selected non-cognitive skills.

While commending private schools for expanding access to education and helping reduce the number of out-of-school children, Alausa stressed that stronger regulation remains necessary.

According to him, private schools must continue to meet minimum educational standards to ensure that quality learning is not compromised.

“Private schools have helped us keep many children in school. We need to encourage them, but we must also regulate them effectively and ensure they maintain the required standards,” he said.

The minister also praised the learning environment in both public and private schools visited during the inspection, describing the facilities as clean, conducive, and supportive of effective teaching and learning.

Education experts say institutionalising the National Learning Assessment is expected to provide government with consistent and credible data needed to measure progress, address learning gaps, and improve the overall quality of education in Nigeria.

Alausa: FG Adopts Triennial Learning Assessment to Tackle Learning Poverty