Oando Foundation Reaffirms Commitment to Transforming Education in Nigeria with LEARNOVATE Strategy

… aims to impact 1 million children by 2027 by enhancing literacy, numeracy, and digital learning in public schools

CHIGOZIE AMADI

Oando Foundation, an independent charity dedicated to strengthening Nigeria’s education system, has reaffirmed its commitment to transforming Nigeria’s education sector through its innovative LEARNOVATE strategy, a five-year initiative designed to enhance foundational learning, digital literacy, and environmental education in public primary schools.

The Foundation announced its goal to impact one million children by 2027, emphasizing the urgency of addressing Nigeria’s learning crisis with scalable, evidence-based solutions. The Foundation also highlighted its strategic shift toward prioritizing foundational literacy and numeracy, STEAM education, green skills development, and education advocacy—critical focus areas aimed at bridging learning gaps and improving learning outcomes, especially in the wake of COVID-19 learning losses and the alarming statistics on learning poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa.

According to a 2024 The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) report, 773 million adults worldwide lack basic literacy skills, two-thirds of whom are women and 250 million children failing to acquire basic literacy skills. Of all regions, sub-Saharan Africa has the highest rates of education exclusion. Over one-fifth of children between the ages of 6 and 11 are out of school, followed by one-third of children between the ages of 12 and 14. This gap in literacy not only perpetuates cycles of poverty but also hinders the region’s ability to unlock the full potential of its population, limiting both individual and societal growth.

Speaking on the Foundation’s renewed strategy, Tonia Uduimoh, Head of Oando Foundation, stated: “Education is the bedrock of national development, yet millions of Nigerian children remain on the margins, denied access to quality learning. We are at a critical juncture—now more than ever, we must rethink how we deliver education. LEARNOVATE is designed to provide structured and impactful solutions to these challenges. By 2027, we aim to empower one million learners with the foundational skills they need to thrive. This is not just about an intervention; it is about transformation, ensuring every child, regardless of background, has the opportunity to succeed.”

Looking into 2025, Tonia Uduimoh emphasized the Foundation’s priority of scaling impact through targeted interventions that address Nigeria’s most pressing education challenges. She added:
“In 2025, our priority is expanding key programs that deliver measurable impact. We are advancing the Clean Our World Initiative Phase V, extending the Climate Action Program to Delta and Abuja, launching the Green Youth Upskilling Program targeted at youth empowerment for the green economy, and rolling out the School STEAM Project to equip students with essential science, technology, engineering, arts, and math skills. For early childhood education, we are expanding the LEARNOVATE-SEED (Supporting Early Childhood Education and Development) Project, which supports pre-primary learners through the establishment of Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) centers and provision of specialized training for teachers and caregivers on effective pedagogy and child development best practices. We are also implementing Project Zero, a joint initiative with the Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board (LASUBEB) aimed at mobilizing out-of-school children back into classrooms and improving learning outcomes in Lagos State. Additionally, the pilot phase of LEARNOVATE-FLIP( Foundational Learning Improvement Program) launched late last year, is now active in 80 public primary schools across four states—Ebonyi, Plateau, Sokoto, and Adamawa. This pioneering initiative applies evidence-based methods, including targeted use of mother-tongue as mode of instruction for early grade learners, to tackle Nigeria’s learning crisis and improve educational outcomes. Collectively, these efforts align with Oando Foundation’s broader mission: building a resilient education system that equips learners with the skills to address real-world challenges, drive innovation, and create meaningful change in their communities.”

The LEARNOVATE framework is structured around three core pillars, designed to address critical learning gaps and create a sustainable education system:
• Learning: Mastering foundational literacy and numeracy skills to ensure every student has the essential building blocks for future success.
• Planet: Promoting green skills development for the youth, and climate education to equip students with the knowledge and mindset needed for an environmentally conscious future.
• Advocacy: Leading sector thought leadership to influence education policy and promote systemic change within Nigeria’s education system.
Additionally, the strategy priorities capacity building for teachers and education stakeholders to improve teaching quality and create a holistic approach to learning, incorporating innovative pedagogical methods to enhance classroom experiences and deliver long-term impact. By integrating these pillars, LEARNOVATE aims to foster a digitally savvy, environmentally conscious generation of young Nigerians prepared to tackle the challenges of tomorrow.

Over a decade-long track record of implementing education interventions in Nigeria, reaching one million+ beneficiaries across 244 schools and 170 projects executed; the Oando Foundation remains steadfast in its commitment to ensuring that every child has access to quality education and learning opportunities, empowering them for a brighter future. Through its LEARNOVATE strategy, the Foundation aligns with key Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure), SDG 13 (Climate Action), and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).

Oando Foundation is an independent charity established in 2011 to support the Nigerian government in achieving its Universal Basic Education goal. Through the Adopt-A-School Initiative, the Foundation has garnered over a decade long experience and accomplishments, supporting basic education access and quality across 88 adopted schools in Nigeria through an integrated whole-school improvement approach.

The Foundation’s new strategy – LEARNOVATE prioritizes innovation and investments in foundational learning quality across target schools, especially around foundational literacy and numeracy skills mastery (Learning), green skills development (Planet), and sector thought leadership (advocacy).