The Nigeria Governors' Forum (NGF), representing all 36 state governors, has urged immediate collaborative action to address critical gaps in foundational learning and Nigeria's out of school children crisis. The call followed a State-Level Workshop on Foundational Learning and Out-of-School Children held in Abuja on Thursday, organised in partnership with the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) and New Globe.

The NGF highlighted that a significant proportion of primary school pupils lack basic literacy, numeracy, and social-emotional competencies essential for academic progression. Without these foundational skills, children cannot develop advanced abilities or transition successfully to secondary education.

Governors stressed that resolving these challenges requires urgent policy reforms, enhanced teacher training, and targeted interventions to reintegrate out of school children into the education system. The workshop focused on reviewing national frameworks and establishing state-specific strategies to accelerate learning recovery and expand school access nationwide.

In his remarks, NGF Chairman and Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, stated that foundational skills go beyond being the final aim of education.

He stressed that they serve as essential pillars for attaining broader educational goals, such as student retention and smooth transition across learning stages.

The governor, in a speech read by NGF Education Advisor, Leo The Great, stated, "Nigeria is faced with a crisis. We are dealing with some out-of-school children. "However, enrollment in school for most children does not translate into actual learning.

"Across the states, the number of children who are in primary school have insufficient levels of foundational literacy, numeracy, and socio-emotional skills necessary for learning success in other subjects and higher skills for learning.

"Foundational skills are not merely the end goal of an educational system; they are also critical building blocks for achieving other educational objectives, including retention and progression from one level to the next."

He disclosed that nationwide data indicates a 66% out-of-school rate among primary school-age children in Nigeria, noting that the poor quality of education has led to high dropout rates, as well as low transition and completion levels.

The NGF Chairman added, "As critical stakeholders in the education ecosystem, we understand that there is now a focus standing on the provision of quality education, especially for foundational learning, to enhance the success of globally tested learning methodology and technology."

As part of the challenges, the Kwara State Governor expressed concern that the education sector's workforce is both insufficient and undervalued.

He continued, "Specifically, basic education and the course of national governance in Nigeria are underfunded. Lack of characterisation of the issues of conditional training, absence of appropriate learning materials and independent training and literacy, lack of familiarity with recent research in the operations of conditional training and digital literacy skills.

"Also, weak local capacity and monitoring and evaluation of conditional training disruptions and outcomes, insufficiency of available points, low level of awareness and support from families and communities for conditional training skills, and lack of commitment among state and non-state actors in addressing these challenges are key factors in developing the education sector and in feeding on basic proficiency in numeracy and literacy in Nigeria."

UBEC Executive Secretary, Aisha Garba, noted that despite ongoing political and systemic barriers, Nigeria's education system still battles deep-rooted challenges.

Garba, represented by UNEC Deputy Secretary, Technical, Rasaq Akinyemi, stressed the need for Nigeria to build on existing achievements and ensure inclusive education, affirming that every Nigerian child has the right to quality education.

UBEC Executive Secretary stated, "Basic education remains a critical concern in our national development. The quality of education in our schools must be improved to ensure that every child can access the learning they deserve.

"Today's gathering is a response to the urgent crisis we face—a crisis of national significance. Millions of Nigerian children are out of school. Many of their parents lack formal education and the necessary skills to lead productive lives.

"These challenges go beyond the pandemic; they reflect deep structural issues that have persisted for decades."

NewGlobe's Vice President for Policy and Partnerships, Ifeyinwa Ugochukwu, acknowledged that while notable progress has been made in expanding access to education across the states, much remains to be done to close the learning gap.

Ugochukwu emphasized that despite progress, major gaps remain in education, noting that several state assessments have revealed Primary 6 pupils still struggle with foundational literacy and numeracy skills.

She stated, "The issue at hand goes beyond out-of-school children. It is actually about whether the children that find their way to classrooms are learning, particularly in our rural communities.

"The unfortunate reality and we all know this too well, is that in too many of our children in schools are not learning.

"Multiple assessments conducted by the states have also shown that children in Primary 6 struggle with basic literacy and numeracy.

"This means that our education system is not just dealing with an access problem, but with a deep, structural, and alarming learning crisis. The truth is, many children are sitting in our classrooms every day, but leaving empty-handed, unable to read, write, or grasp basic understanding.

"This is not a marginal concern. It is a system-wide emergency. If we do not act quickly and deliberately, we will be too late for millions of children."