Nigeria has commenced its 2026 National Learning Assessment, marking the return of the nationwide exercise for the first time since 2019 as the Federal Government moves to strengthen the country’s education data system and improve learning outcomes.
The assessment, coordinated by the Federal Ministry of Education, is designed to evaluate pupils’ literacy, numeracy, science and cognitive skills across selected public and private schools nationwide.
Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, monitored the commencement of the exercise in schools across Kuje, Abuja, on Friday, describing the assessment as a critical step towards building an education system driven by evidence rather than assumptions.
According to the minister, expanding access to education alone is no longer sufficient, stressing that government must also measure whether children are acquiring the knowledge and skills expected at each stage of learning.
The assessment targets pupils in Primary Three, Primary Five and Junior Secondary School Two (JSS2), with the results expected to provide data that will help government identify learning gaps, improve classroom instruction and design targeted interventions where they are most needed.
Alausa said the findings would also be integrated into the Digital Nigeria Education Management Information System (DNEMIS), strengthening the country’s education data ecosystem and supporting better planning, resource allocation and policy decisions.
He added that, under the Nigerian Education Sector Renewal Initiative (NESRI), the National Learning Assessment would now become a triennial exercise, providing a consistent national benchmark for measuring learning outcomes and tracking progress in efforts to reduce learning poverty.
The minister said he was encouraged by the level of participation observed in both public and private schools during the monitoring exercise, noting that while infrastructure remains important, the ultimate measure of an education system is what learners know and are able to do.
