Learning outcomes in Nigeria

One of the primary functions of schooling is to enable children to learn enough to become useful and productive members of society. Education is largely accepted as being contributory to human capital development and it has been established that learning outcomes from formal education are a useful indicator of future economic growth and productivity. From the evidence available however, it is clear that the general quality of learning – as measured by pupil achievement and teacher competence – is pervasively low in Nigeria. The decline in learning outcomes in Nigeria has been traced to a number of public sector inadequacies including insufficient and poorly administered sector funding, ineffective monitoring mechanisms, unmotivated teachers, and teacher shortages. The pervasive failure rates in the country have attracted the concern of several private and civil society stakeholders, spurring several non-state interventions aimed at improving the quality of teaching and learning.