Katsina State Government Marks Launch of UK-funded SCALE Programme to Strengthen Foundational Learning
11 September 2026 – The Katsina State Government has marked the launch of the Scaling Access and Learning in Education (SCALE) programme in the state. Funded by the UK Government, SCALE is delivered in partnership with the Education Development Trust (EDT), Teaching at the Right Level Africa (TaRL Africa) and Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA). The event, held at the Katsina State Government House, was attended by the Executive Governor of Katsina State with the Honourable Commissioner for Education delivering a goodwill message.
SCALE is a UK Government-supported programme that works alongside national and state governments to embed proven education interventions into public systems at scale. In Katsina and Zamfara states, the programme focuses on strengthening reading and math skills in Integrated Qur’anic and Tsangaya Education (IQTE) schools, while also supporting a national-level review of the Accelerated Basic Education Programme (ABEP) curriculum. In this intervention, the enhanced ABEP curriculum will deliver accelerated basic education to over-aged out-of-school children.
The SCALE programme builds on promising results from Kaduna State, where the TaRL approach was introduced in IQTE schools with support from the Aminu Musa Abdulsalam (AMA) Foundation. TaRL is a simple, evidence-based approach that groups children by their actual learning level rather than age or grade, then uses dedicated time and regular one-on-one assessments to build core reading and math skills at each child’s own pace. Teachers reported that children who had never had access to structured reading instruction began reading simple words and gained confidence in the classroom within months of implementation. The Katsina and Zamfara partnership builds on these early lessons, adapting the same level-based teaching approach to schools and communities across the state.
The programme reflects a shared commitment by government and partners to ensure that every child acquires foundational reading and math skills, regardless of their background or learning pathway.
H.E. Umar Dikko Radda, Executive Governor of Katsina State said:
“For us, education is not simply about getting a child into the school. Access is only the beginning, but learning is the ultimate objective. Our intention is not only to implement isolated projects. Our ambition is to build an education system that can continuously improve. Where an approach demonstrates value and produces results, we will continue to explore appropriate ways to integrate and sustain such approaches within our educational system.”
Hon. Suleiman Usman Jibia, Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Katsina State said:
“Today’s launch therefore marks a significant milestone in our collective efforts to expand the reach of the programme and strengthen the learning opportunities and support for more emerging and IQTE learners across Katsina State. We look forward to building on the successes recorded during the pilot phase and collectively towards a broader, more effective, and sustainable implementation of the SCALE programme across Katsina State.”
Ms. Cynthia Rowe, Head of Development Cooperation at the British High Commission in Abuja said:
“The launch of SCALE marks an important step in our shared mission to ensure that every child, regardless of the type of school they attend, has the opportunity to build strong foundational literacy and numeracy skills. We are proud to support the Katsina State Government in bringing proven, evidence-based teaching approaches into IQTE schools, and we look forward to seeing the difference this will make, assisting all children to realise their full potential.”
Ian Attfield, Senior Education Adviser at the British High Commission Abuja said:
“Far too many girls and boys have been denied access to quality education in Northern Nigeria. We must all step-up to open flexible, evidence backed pathways to learning, to ensure that no child is left behind.”
