Nigeria Needs One Unified Learning Assessment – Minister Of State For Education

The Federal Government says Nigeria must adopt a unified national learning assessment to improve education planning, strengthen interventions and ensure every child has equal opportunities to learn and progress through the school system.

The Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Ahmad, stated this while inspecting schools participating in the 2026 National Learning Assessment in Ringim Local Government Area of Jigawa State during the National Learning Assessment Week.

She said the nationwide assessment will provide the Federal Government with reliable data to strengthen education policies, improve learning outcomes and guide evidence-based interventions across the country.

According to the Minister, the Federal Ministry of Education introduced the assessment to establish a common national framework for evaluating students’ academic performance at key stages of learning.

She explained that the exercise covers Primary Five pupils, Junior Secondary School Two (JS2) and Senior Secondary School Two (SS2) students in both public and private schools nationwide.

Professor Suwaiba said she visited three schools, two secondary schools and one basic education school to monitor the exercise, expressing satisfaction with the peaceful and orderly conduct of the assessment.

She added that the findings will help government identify learning gaps, monitor students’ progress and design policies that improve the quality of education across Nigeria.

The Minister noted that a unified assessment system will also make it easier for government to plan effectively, allocate resources efficiently and ensure that no child is left behind in the country’s education reforms.