By Jane Salihu
The Federal Government has intensified efforts to improve learning outcomes in schools by reviving the National Learning Assessment (NLA), with the Minister of Education, Maruf Tunji Alausa, declaring that the exercise will provide a national benchmark for measuring the quality of education across the country.
The minister spoke after monitoring the ongoing assessment in selected public and private schools in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), where he said the exercise is designed to evaluate pupils’ and students’ proficiency in literacy, numeracy, basic science and cognitive skills.
According to him, the assessment is being conducted for Primary Three, Primary Five and Junior Secondary School Two (JSS2) learners to determine whether children are acquiring the expected knowledge and competencies at their respective levels.
Alausa said the assessment would generate credible data to guide policy decisions and targeted interventions aimed at strengthening teaching and learning across Nigeria’s education system.
He noted that although learning assessments had been conducted in the past, the Federal Government has now institutionalised the exercise to take place every three years to ensure regular monitoring of learning outcomes.
The minister disclosed that the Universal Basic Education Commission has been directed to make budgetary provisions for subsequent assessments beginning from 2029 to guarantee sustainability.
He explained that government had also harmonised previously existing assessment models into a single national framework that would enable consistent measurement of learning performance over time.
Describing the initiative as a critical component of the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative, Alausa said the assessment aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s vision of repositioning education as a key driver of national development and economic growth.
During the monitoring exercise, the minister visited Government Secondary School, Kuje; a Junior Secondary School; and Topaz Model Primary School, a private school, where he expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the assessment and the learning environment.
He commended the Federal Capital Territory Administration for improvements in public school infrastructure, noting that the schools visited provided conducive environments for teaching and learning.
The minister also acknowledged the contribution of private schools to expanding access to education, saying they have continued to complement government efforts by keeping many children in school. He, however, stressed the need for stronger regulation to ensure compliance with prescribed standards.
“We need to ensure not only that children are in school, but that they are actually learning. The results of this assessment will help us identify gaps and implement targeted interventions to improve educational outcomes,” he said.
Also speaking, the FCT Mandate Secretary for Education, Danlami Hayyo, described the National Learning Assessment as a transformative initiative capable of strengthening Nigeria’s education system.
Hayyo said the FCT Administration had renovated more than 120 public schools under the leadership of FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, adding that the improved facilities reflect the administration’s commitment to quality education.
He pledged the FCT Administration’s continued support for the implementation of recommendations arising from the assessment to improve learning outcomes across schools in the territory.
