Gombe Partners EIDU to Boost Classroom Learning, Targets 40,000 Pupils

Funmi Ogundare 

Gombe State Government has partnered a global education technology organisation, EIDU, to improve classroom learning in public primary schools, with more than 11,000 pupils already benefiting from the initiative.

The programme, which forms part of Governor Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya’s education reform agenda, is aimed at addressing poor learning outcomes and strengthening foundational literacy and numeracy skills among pupils in the state. The state government plans to scale up the initiative to reach over 40,000 pupils in the coming year as part of its broader strategy to improve foundational learning outcomes in public primary schools.

Speaking with journalists, the Commissioner for Education, Prof. Aishatu Umar Maigari, said the state recognised early that increasing school enrolment without improving classroom learning would not deliver meaningful education outcomes.

“It is one thing to take children to school, it is another thing to retain them, and it is another thing for them to actually learn,” she said, stressing that the government’s priority is to ensure pupils develop strong foundational skills from their early years.

Under the first phase of the initiative, more than 300 teachers have been trained, while 11,555 pupils across 16 schools in three local government areas are currently participating in the programme.

The partnership introduces a structured, technology-enabled teaching model designed to enhance lesson delivery and improve pupils’ engagement. Classrooms involved in the programme are equipped with digital learning tools and structured lesson guides to support more effective teaching.

Maigari explained that the initiative promotes individualised learning through digital devices fitted with educational software that focuses on strengthening key literacy skills such as phonemic awareness, vocabulary development, reading fluency and comprehension.

According to her, the programme also shifts the traditional teacher-centred classroom model by enabling pupils to interact more directly with learning content.

The commissioner further noted that education administrators now have access to real-time data through a digital dashboard, allowing them to monitor classroom performance and track pupils’ progress across participating schools.

“With the digital dashboard we can see what is happening in classrooms and identify where additional support is needed. It improves accountability and helps us strengthen the quality of education delivery,” she said.