The Northern Education Initiative Plus has identified the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE) as its most effective government partner in Nigeria. This recognition was born out of the commitment the Commission exhibited throughout the implementation of its programs. The Initiative expressed gratitude for having such a reliable partner to effectively run its Programmes.

NEIPlus gave the Commendation in a meeting between the NCCE and Mr. Leland Kruvant, President and CEO/Creative Associates International on the 25th of June 2019 in Abuja.

The meeting which was organized in collaboration with NCCE reading group headed by the Chairman and Desk Officer Dr. Sam Ugwuoti and Dr. Abdul Otuniyi, respectively is meant to officially launch the NCCE model Early Grade Reading Resource Centre as well as to introduce the substantive NEI Chief of Party Dr. Jordene Hale to the Executive Secretary.

NEIPlus, funded by the U.S Agency for International Development, introduced its programme to improve access and quality of education for more than two million school-aged children in two Northern States of Bauchi and Sokoto. The programme is designed to last for a period of five years. Within this period, the state’s ability in providing quality education for girls, orphans and out-of-school children would be strengthened.

In his address, the Executive Secretary Prof. Bappa-Aliyu Muhammadu, expressed delight to meet with Mr. Kruvant, he said that the partnership with NEIPlus is fruitful because it is a platform for working together to see the Nigerian child is able to read, first in the mother-tongue and secondly in English language which is Nigeria’s main official language.

Professor Bappa-Aliyu said with the implementation of the NEI+ Programmes the teacher will now be equipped with the adequate skills to be a teacher of reading and also a teacher of subject contents. He will then have the capacity to change the narrative because the school child will be able to read and write even before the end of primary school as espoused in the National Policy on Education (NPE).

He also appreciated the contributions of USAID who has worked through the Creative Associates International in Collaboration with Northern Education Initiative Plus to develop high quality reading materials titled “Introduction to teaching reading in Primary 1-3 Teacher Educator Guide and introduction to teaching reading in primary 1-3 Student Teacher Resource book. This initiative the Executive Secretary hinted has brought a huge transformation in reading skills in the entire Bauchi and Sokoto States where the materials were pilot tested.

Prof. Bappa-Aliyu Muhammadu maintain that NCCE collaboration with NEI is endless and so appealed for more intervention in the areas of donating E and hard copy libraries, transformation of the reading Centre to a model per excellence, provision of divergent ICT Facilities and equipment, supply of book materials to the shelves of the new reading Centre, staff capacity building among others.

In his response, Mr. Kruvant, represented by NEI+ Chief of Party Dr. Jordene Hale appreciated the partnership describing it as credible and emphasizing that efforts made is highly noticed by the USAID highest body of authority. She also appreciated the curriculum designed towards achieving Early Grade Reading for School children in Nigeria.

On the request made by the Executive Secretary, she assured that in due course it would be addressed and looked into. Meanwhile, the highpoint of the event was the formal launch of the NCCE model Early Grade Resource Center by Dr. Jordene Hale.