The Federal Government has commenced measures to ensure that textbooks in Mathematics, English Language and other core subjects reach learners on time and are properly tracked and maintained as part of efforts to address learning poverty in Nigeria.
The initiative is being implemented through a series of workshops organised by the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Education (FME) under the Human Capital Opportunities for Prosperity and Equity (HOPE-EDU) programme.
The latest workshop, titled “Five-day Result Area One Regional Thematic Workshop on Book Supply Chain and Track ‘N’ Trace,” began in Lagos at the weekend.
The workshop brought together education officials from Niger, Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Benue, Plateau, Ekiti, Ondo, Ogun, Osun, Oyo and Lagos states, as well as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
HOPE-EDU is a Federal Government programme supported by the World Bank to improve foundational learning through stronger systems, institutional capacity and technical support.
Under Results Area 1 (RA1), the programme is organising regional thematic workshops on the Structured Pedagogy Package (SPP) Guidance and the Book Supply Chain and Track-and-Trace (BSC/TnT) System to strengthen the capacity of federal and state officials to support effective implementation.
In her address, the Executive Secretary of UBEC, Dr Aisha Garba, commended the Federal Government and the Federal Ministry of Education for supporting the commission in implementing the HOPE-EDU programme.
Garba said the workshops were designed to translate the objectives of the programme into practical support for states by equipping federal and state officials with the knowledge, tools and systems needed for effective implementation.
She added that the workshops would demonstrate the government’s commitment to improving the quality and availability of teaching and learning materials while establishing transparent and accountable systems for education service delivery.
“The engagement should therefore be positioned not simply as a technical workshop, but as an important step in translating HOPE-EDU’s investments and objectives into practical improvements at state and school levels, ultimately contributing to better teaching and learning outcomes for Nigerian children,” she said.
Garba also emphasised the importance of the November 15, 2026 deadline for states to demonstrate their readiness for the programme.
“By November 15, 2026, your states must demonstrate readiness. This is not negotiable. It is the gateway to unlocking the first round of programme disbursements and, more importantly, the future of our children,” she said.
She noted that the participation of officials overseeing academic services, teacher professional development, monitoring and evaluation, procurement, as well as planning, research and statistics/electronic management information systems, reflected the comprehensive approach required for successful implementation.
In her welcome remarks, the Programme Manager, Dr Aisha Abdul, said the HOPE-EDU programme became effective in February 2026, adding that implementation had focused on establishing the institutional, technical and operational structures required to achieve its Programme Development Objective and first-year targets.
According to her, with support from the World Bank team, technical experts and consultants, the programme had worked closely with states to establish the foundation for reforms that the workshop would help translate into concrete action.
Abdul said the Book Supply Chain and Track-and-Trace System was central to HOPE-EDU’s objective of ensuring that teaching and learning materials procured and financed through the programme achieve a 1:1 pupil-to-book ratio in literacy and numeracy and reach classrooms intact and on schedule.
She urged state delegations to actively participate in the workshop, resolve outstanding issues and conclude the sessions with clear and actionable implementation plans.
Abdul also reminded participants of the November 15 deadline for submitting prerequisite evidence, urging states to use the workshop to address outstanding clarifications and avoid being unprepared.
A representative of the Federal Ministry of Education, Mr Abdulgafar Otunola, said the ministry would continue working to reposition the education sector.
A World Bank consultant, Gerard Peart, said the bank was supporting HOPE-EDU within the framework of the Universal Basic Education programme.
Peart identified quality, access and system strengthening as essential to making primary education functional, noting that learning poverty remained a significant challenge in the sector.
“One of the major problems confronting primary education in Nigeria is learning poverty occasioned by overcrowded classrooms, lack of textbooks, teaching and learning materials. If we want to get more from basic education, textbooks must be available in the classrooms and in required quantity,” Peart said.
