Ghana, Nigeria unite to tackle out-of-school children challenges

Ghana's Complementary Education Agency (CEA) and Nigeria's National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School Children Education (NCAOOSCE) have committed to signing a memorandum of understanding to establish an ongoing knowledge exchange on getting children back into education in both countries.  

This was made known after a delegation from the Nigerian government visited Ghana from February 2-6, 2026.

The delegation was made up of representatives from the Federal Ministry of Education, officials from Kaduna and Kano states, and education programme partners.

During the visit, Nigerian officials observed Ghana's Complementary Basic Education programme in action.

A statement from the British High Commission in Accra said the nine-month catch-up programme helps children aged 8-16 gain literacy and numeracy skills.  

Around 90 per cent of graduates from Ghana's programme successfully return to formal schooling. 

The programme costs approximately $100 per child, making it highly cost-effective.  

Nigeria faces one of the world's largest out-of-school populations, with UNICEF estimating 18.3 million children not in education. 

Nigeria’s Federal Minister for Education, Dr Tunji Aluasa, said addressing the challenge was central to Nigeria's Education Sector Reform Initiative.

The Nigerian delegation visited schools in Ghana’s Northern Region and met with regional officials, communities and education practitioners.

Members observed classroom teaching and the coordination between the national and local governments.  

Key aspects of the CBE programme include a strong focus on community leadership and facilitation, an accelerated learning curriculum with a targeted focus on literacy and numeracy, small class sizes, the use of child-centred pedagogy, and local language instruction.

Importance  

Delegations from both countries shared the importance of integrating accelerated learning programmes within government systems and supporting the transition of out-of-school children into mainstream schools.

At a round-table event hosted by the British Council, the Executive Director of Ghana’s CEA, Daniel Kwesi Ashiamah, said: “The Ghanaian child is at the centre of the Ministry of Education's policies, which call for this special programme to give them a second chance at education.

The future of every nation hinges on the younger generation.

Basic education is non-negotiable and not a favour done to children but rather to the nation. Previously donor-funded, the Government of Ghana is currently financing the programme which supports 10,000 learners in 12 districts across 4 regions in Ghana.” 

The Executive Director of the NCAOOSCE, Dr Sani Idriss, noted that: “Our greatest takeaway from this visit is the remarkable level of collaboration and synergy across all tiers of government—from the national level to the regional and municipal authorities, reflecting a shared vision and coordinated and consistent approach.

This unity, including on community engagement and involvement, has been deeply impressive and is a major reason Ghana has achieved tremendous success in tackling the challenge of out-of-school children.”

The UK facilitated the partnership through the British High Commissions in Accra and Abuja.

The British Council and UK-funded education programmes, including PLANE and the What Works Hub for Global Education, supported the exchange.  

Both countries will continue working together to adapt successful approaches to their contexts.

This collaboration supports the UK government's commitment to breaking down barriers to opportunity for children worldwide.