The Oando Foundation has enrolled more than 5,162 out-of-school children into the formal education system and distributed over 2,000 back-to-school kits to support their smooth transition.
The achievements were highlighted in two new reports showcasing the impact of Early Grade Reading (EGR) and Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) interventions, implemented under the Foundation’s Foundational Learning Improvement Programme (LEARNOVATE–FLIP). The reports, which evaluate progress across public primary schools in Ebonyi, Plateau, Sokoto, and Adamawa States, were unveiled during a dissemination workshop in Abuja.
Speaking at the event, Head of Oando Foundation, Tonia Uduimoh, underscored the urgency of addressing Nigeria’s learning crisis and called for scaling proven models like EGR and TaRL to strengthen systemic change.
“For years, statistics around foundational learning in Nigeria have been sobering. In response, Oando Foundation launched FLIP across four states, adopting a mixed-methods approach that combines preventive and remedial interventions to improve literacy and numeracy outcomes,” Uduimoh said.
She explained that the program had built teacher capacity, strengthened school support systems, deployed culturally relevant assessment tools, and tested scalable, evidence-based solutions. According to her, the results demonstrate that Nigeria can overcome its learning crisis through innovation, collaboration, and community ownership.
“As a Foundation, we remain deeply committed to sustaining and scaling these interventions in partnership with government, development partners, and the private sector. By launching these reports, we aim to shape strategies for policy integration, financing, and community engagement that will deliver long-term impact,” she added.
Also speaking, Dr. Feese Nguyan, a member of the Oando Foundation Board of Trustees, noted that while progress had been made, the number of out-of-school children and those in school but not learning remains a major concern.
“For the Oando Foundation, initiatives like LEARNOVATE–FLIP reflect our mission to strengthen teacher capacity and national education systems. This pilot is only the beginning, and we are committed to scaling these solutions to ensure lasting change for children across Nigeria,” Nguyan stated.
The Director of Basic Education at the Federal Ministry of Education, Dr. Folake Olatunji-David, described education as a pillar of national development, stressing that without strong literacy and numeracy foundations, children’s ability to thrive remains limited.
Since its establishment in 2011, Oando Foundation has continued to champion access to quality education in Nigeria through innovative programs and partnerships aimed at building sustainable learning outcomes.
