The United Kingdom and its Nigerian government and development partners have celebrated the achievements of the Partnership for Learning for All in Nigeria (PLANE), which directly reached more than two million children and supported the training of over 25,000 teachers and facilitators across northern Nigeria.
The partners marked the close-out of the programme in Kaduna on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, highlighting its contributions to improving foundational learning, strengthening education systems and promoting safer learning environments.
Funded by the UK and implemented by DAI, UNICEF, Save the Children and other consortium partners, PLANE supported education reforms at federal and state levels, with a focus on improving literacy and numeracy among children.
Speaking at the event, British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Pete Vowles, said the programme was built on a shared commitment to ensuring that more children enrol in school, remain in school and acquire essential learning skills.
He said the programme’s achievements demonstrated the value of collaboration among governments, teachers, communities and development partners, adding that sustaining the gains beyond its closure remained a priority.
“PLANE is closing. The UK’s education partnership with Nigeria is not,” Vowles said, noting that Nigerian institutions were already adopting and expanding successful approaches introduced through the programme.
The event was attended by the Deputy Governor of Kaduna State, Dr Hadiza Sabuwa Balarabe, who represented Governor Uba Sani, alongside representatives of the Federal Ministry of Education, education leaders, teachers, development partners and community representatives.
Balarabe expressed appreciation to the UK government, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), the British High Commission and the PLANE implementation team for their contributions over the past seven years.
She said the programme had helped build the capacity of teachers and government officials, adding that the knowledge and skills acquired would continue to benefit the state’s education sector beyond the programme’s conclusion.
According to the organisers, PLANE also strengthened safeguarding systems to make schools safer for children and generated evidence showing that learning outcomes could improve when effective educational approaches were implemented on a wider scale.
Meanwhile, the UK has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting education and human capital development in Nigeria, with further collaboration expected across primary education, higher education, research and technical skills development.
As part of the visit, UK representatives toured the College of Petroleum and Energy Studies in Kaduna, where partnerships between Nigerian institutions and UK universities are helping students acquire advanced technical and professional skills.
Cynthia Rowe, Head of Development Cooperation at the British High Commission in Nigeria, said education remained one of the most important investments a country could make in its future.
She said the achievements of PLANE demonstrated what could be accomplished when evidence, innovation and partnerships were combined to address educational challenges.
Rowe added that the UK would continue to work with governments, schools, universities and communities to build on the programme’s achievements and expand opportunities for Nigeria’s next generation.
