The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to reducing the number of out-of-school children through the Accelerated Basic Education Programme (ABEP). Speaking at the ABEP Curriculum Scale-Up Workshop in Lagos, the Honourable Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Said Ahmad, described ABEP as an urgent national response and a moral imperative to reintegrate vulnerable children into learning.
She noted the programme’s flexible and inclusive structure, tailored to reach children affected by poverty, conflict, and displacement. The initiative is built on five key pillars: policy alignment, teacher training, community engagement, data-driven monitoring, and sustainable domestic financing.
Welcoming stakeholders on behalf of the Permanent Secretary, Mr. Abel Olumuyiwa Enitan, Dr. (Mrs.) Folake Olatunji-David emphasized the Ministry’s dedication to inclusive education policies aligned with national development goals. She noted the workshop’s aim to support high-burden states in developing tailored ABEP frameworks and mobilizing resources for sustainable implementation.
UBEC Deputy Executive Secretary, Mr. Tunde Adebutu, restated the goal of returning 10 million out-of-school children to learning by 2027. Development partners including FCDO-PLANE and Plan International praised Nigeria’s innovative three-year accelerated model and pledged continued support.
Representing development partners, Dr. Mukailu Ibrahim (FCDO-PLANE) and Joseph Julius (Plan International) praised ABEP’s accelerated model as a lifeline for vulnerable children and reaffirmed support for its expansion through stronger investment, partnerships, and institutionalisation.
The 3-day workshop gathers education stakeholders from all six geopolitical zones to produce state-specific action plans and a national roadmap for scaling up ABEP.
