The Nigerian government has unveiled a new reform initiative, HOPE for Quality Basic Education for All (HOPE-EDU), aimed at addressing the country’s deep-rooted education challenges, including the crisis of out-of-school children and overcrowded classrooms. Nigeria’s Basic Education faces very stark realities: over 10 million out-of-school children, overcrowded classrooms, and resource disparity that undermines equity,” she said. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) estimated that around 18.9 million children in Nigeria are out of school, making the country one of the worst‑affected globally. The initiative aims to improve learning outcomes for over 29 million children, empower 500,000 teachers, construct 13,000 new classrooms and return more than 1.5 million out-of-school children to classrooms nationwide. “The HOPE for Quality Basic Education for All (HOPE-EDU) programme is co-financed by the World Bank and the Global Partnership for Education.

Source: The Guardian March 04, 2026 19:33 UTC