Institutionalizing literacy gains: lessons from transitioning donor support in Nigeria

• In Event: Language, multilingualism, and literacy in global contexts

Proposal

Over the past two decades, Nigeria has been the focus of significant donor investment in early grade reading and mother-tongue literacy, with USAID leading the way in funding large-scale interventions. These initiatives mobilized extensive financial, technical, and human resources to strengthen foundational literacy skills, a critical building block for future learning and educational attainment. Yet, despite this sustained attention, the most recent Early Grade Reading Assessments (EGRA) continue to show persistently low reading outcomes. This paradox—substantial investment with limited long-term impact—demands closer examination of how donor strategies and implementation models influence both short-term learning gains and long-term system sustainability.

Earlier USAID-funded programs, such as the Reading and Access Research Activity (RARA) and the Northern Education Initiative (NEI and NEI Plus), demonstrated measurable progress in improving reading outcomes. EGRA results under these projects indicated improvements in decoding, fluency, and comprehension skills, particularly in mother-tongue instruction contexts. These programs relied heavily on direct implementation: implementing partners led the design and delivery of interventions, including curriculum-aligned teaching and learning materials, teacher training, classroom demonstrations, and community mobilization. State and federal ministries of education were engaged but not expected to independently sustain or expand reforms. This approach allowed for visible short-term gains, as interventions were controlled, resourced, and systematically delivered by donor-funded teams.

In contrast, USAID’s more recent LEARN to Read activity marked a decisive strategic pivot. Rather than donor-led implementation, LEARN emphasized technical assistance only, with the explicit aim of fostering government ownership and sustainability. While conceptually aligned with global priorities on country ownership, the transition occurred abruptly, without a phased strategy, structured handover, or systematic assessment of institutional readiness. Ministries were suddenly expected to take on responsibilities for material production, teacher professional development, and assessment management—functions they had not been adequately supported to internalize. Within this context, EGRA results showed that early gains dissipated, with learning outcomes returning to pre-2014 levels.

This session examines how the absence of a phased transition may have contributed to the decline, and what alternative pathways could have mitigated the loss of earlier progress. Specifically, we highlight the importance of hybrid models in which direct implementation is gradually scaled down while technical assistance is increased. Such models allow ministries to build ownership incrementally, with space to experiment, adapt, and institutionalize reforms. Examples include co-created teaching and assessment materials that reflect both international best practice and local realities; demonstration classrooms paired with embedded ministry staff; coaching systems that strengthen supervision while building technical expertise; and stronger, routine use of EGRA data to inform instructional decision-making.

Equally important is embedding capacity-building within the day-to-day systems that ministries already manage—budgeting, resource allocation, teacher professional development, and instructional supervision—rather than relying primarily on workshops or parallel donor systems. This requires long-term commitment, realistic timelines, and coordination across multiple donor initiatives to prevent fragmentation and duplication.

Nigeria’s trajectory underscores a critical lesson for the broader development community: abrupt withdrawal of donor-led implementation not only undermines short-term learning outcomes but also weakens prospects for sustainable system strengthening. A more deliberate, phased approach that balances demonstration with technical assistance offers a more effective pathway to durable impact. By reflecting on Nigeria’s experience, this presentation seeks to provide actionable strategies for donors, governments, and practitioners to balance technical assistance with measurable, sustainable gains in early grade reading.

Data sources:
1. Nigeria Reading and Access Research Activity (RARA) Final Activity Report (2016).
2. USAID Northern Education Initiative – EGRA data and reports
3. USAID Nigeria LEARN to Read – Adamawa Baseline (2023) – quantitative. USAID Nigeria LEARN to Read – Sokoto and Bauchi Midterm (2024) – quantitative.

Authors

• Leesa Kaplan, N/A

• Simon King, NewGlobe Education