Inside Gombe’s Basic Education Reform

A partnership between Gombe State and EIDU is helping 11,000 children beat learning poverty, Uzoma

Mba reports 

On most mornings in Gombe town, school bells ring against a backdrop of slow-moving traffic, open-air markets and children in neatly pressed uniforms hurrying to class. Among them is nine-year-old Ibrahim Mohammad, whose steps are quicker these days.

“He doesn’t want to be late anymore,” says his teacher, MallamaRayyanatu, who has taught for nearly two decades.

Mohammad is one of 11,000 children across six local government areas benefiting from a digital learning programmeintroduced by the Gombe State Government in partnership with EIDU. The initiative focuses on strengthening foundational literacy and numeracy skills among early-grade learners.

Something deep is happening. Confidence is returning and curiosity is growing among the children. Those who once struggled are beginning to believe they can learn.

“There is clear evidence that things are improving,” Rayyanatusays. “You can see it in how they hurry to school, solve basic math problems and handle reading and spelling tasks. They are more engaged, now than before.”

Beyond Access, Toward Learning

In Nigeria, where more than 10 million children are out of school and many others struggle to read at the expected level, the challenge is no longer just access to education but learning itself.

“There is a learning crisis where children finish school without being able to read and write fluently,” says Professor Aishatu Umar Maigari, Gombe State’s Commissioner for Education. “So, in Gombe we have taken the bull by the horn.”

That response is rooted in political will.

“From his first day in office, His Excellency, Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, declared a state of emergency in education,” she says. “Since then, he has not relented in driving reforms to improve learning outcomes.”

The governor has consistently framed education as central to the state’s future. “Education is a core concern of this administration because it is about the lives of our children, who are the leaders of tomorrow,” he said early in his tenure.

That vision led to the partnership with EIDU, a global organisation that has expertise in tackling the challenge of learning poverty.

How the Model Works

The partnership with EIDU is a shift from traditional teaching methods toward structured, technology-supported learning.

“In Gombe, education is not just about enrolling children,” Professor Maigari explains. “It is about ensuring they acquire foundational skills and remain in the system long enough to benefit from it.”

With the EIDU model, teachers are provided with smartphones containing structured, step-by-step lesson guides. Pupils interact with exercises tailored to their learning level, often sharing devices in small groups.

“It enriches the normal classroom pattern where a teacher stands in front of the class and everything is teacher-centred,” she says. “Now we have individualised learning using digital tools.”

Lessons are delivered in clear stages, guiding children through essential literacy and numeracy skills. Each child progresses at their own pace.

“We are ensuring that every child goes through the foundational steps of literacy,” Professor Maigari adds. “If one step is missing, the whole process is affected.”

At the same time, the system generates real-time data.

“We can monitor learning from the classroom level to the state level,” she says. “If engagement drops in a classroom or school, we see it immediately.”

Evidence Beyond Gombe

Implementation of this approach is not unique to Gombe. The same models have been implemented in other countries with encouraging results.

In Kenya, programmes using structured digital lesson guidance have recorded measurable improvements in early-grade reading and numeracy. Teachers report that lessons are easier to deliver and more consistent, while pupils show higher levels of engagement.

In 2025, a peer-reviewed study identified EIDU’s method as one of the most impactful education interventions in low- and middle-income countries. The research was conducted across 291 public schools in Kenya, measuring improvements in literacy and numeracy after 13 months of use.

The programme was fully embedded within the public education system, delivered by teachers and aligned with the national curriculum. Results show significant learning gains, demonstrating the method’s effectiveness at scale within regular classroom settings.

What stands out is not just the technology itself, but how it is used. Structured pedagogy, combined with real-time feedback and continuous monitoring, allows education leaders to track progress daily rather than rely on periodic assessments which may come long after the situation may be almost irredeemable. 

There is also evidence of improved teacher effectiveness. With clear lesson pathways, teachers spend less time improvising and more time supporting pupils. In large classrooms, this consistency can make a significant difference.

Retention has also improved. Interactive and personalisedlearning experiences encourage children to attend school more regularly, reinforcing long-term educational outcomes.

A Shift in the Classroom

Back in Gombe, these patterns are becoming visible.

Before the programme, Mohammad was quiet and hesitant. Reading felt difficult. Numbers were confusing.

“He was attentive, but not confident,” his teacher recalls.

That has changed.

Now he arrives early, eager for his turn with the device. Lessons are broken into smaller steps, allowing him to learn at his own pace. The system adapts to his progress, building confidence along the way.

Across classrooms, similar changes are unfolding. Children who were once passive are becoming active participants. Attendance has improved and engagement has deepened.

For many pupils, the technology itself is part of the attraction.

“When a child touches the phone and sees their progress, it motivates them to come back,” Professor Maigari says. “Very many children are now eager to be in school. And more girls are now in school.”

Teachers have also noticed the shift.

“The children want to learn,” one teacher says. “They ask every day when it’s EIDU time.”

Supporting Teachers, Strengthening Systems

The programme is not replacing teachers. It is supporting them.

EIDU training has introduced new teaching methods and tools for assessment, helping educators manage classrooms more effectively.

“The teacher’s role has become easier because the lesson plans are already structured,” Professor Maigari explains. “It allows them to focus more on the child.”

For education administrators, where there was once a gap in data for decision making, that is no longer the case. Real-time data made available by the programme offers clarity. Today, learning outcomes are no longer abstract but measurable.

At a broader level, the initiative fits into a wider reform agenda that includes teacher development, infrastructure improvements and targeted interventions for out-of-school children.

“What we are doing is not just introducing technology,” Professor Maigari says. “We are building a system that ensures children are enrolled, retained and able to learn.”

Scaling the Impact

The early success of the programme has already prompted plans for expansion.

“His Excellency has approved scaling,” Professor Maigari says. “We are moving from eleven thousand to fourth-four thousand learners.”

The goal is to extend digital learning across more schools and reach more children across the state.

A Quiet Transformation

At the end of the school day, Mohammad lingers near the EIDU Corner, glancing back at the device before heading home.

His teacher says the biggest change is not only academic.

“He believes he can learn now.”

That belief is subtle but powerful. It is the difference between showing up and engaging, between attendance and progress.

For children like Mohammad, the programme is more than a policy intervention. It is a reason to come to school, to try, and to imagine a different future.