By Aliyu Baba Mohammed
Nigeria has recorded improvements in early grade reading following a large-scale pupil assessment that tested over 72,000 children across 33 states, with results showing gains in phonics-based literacy instruction.
Universal Learning Solutions (ULS), which manages the Jolly Phonics Project in Nigeria, announced the results of the 2025 National Phonics Screening Exercise on Saturday in Abuja. The assessment evaluated 72,127 pupils from Early Child Care and Development (ECCD) to Primary 3 across 33 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
Of the pupils tested, 64,576 had received instruction through Jolly Phonics, an early literacy programme supported by the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) and State Universal Basic Education Boards (SUBEBs). The project now operates in all 36 states and the FCT.
The assessment findings indicate that pupils showed gains in letter-sound knowledge and word reading ability compared to previous assessments. Mean scores in both English letter sounds and English word reading have risen since 2019, with Primary 3 pupils’ average word-reading ability showing significant improvement.
The proportion of pupils reaching national reading benchmarks has also increased. Primary 1 pupils achieving the 20-word benchmark rose from 20.9 percent in 2021 to 35 percent in 2025. Among Primary 2 pupils, those meeting the 30-word benchmark climbed from 17.7 percent in 2019 to 26.6 percent in 2025.
Results also showed that pupils taught using phonics-based methods performed better in both English and Hausa reading, suggesting that phonics skills may support bilingual literacy development.
The Country Director of Universal Learning Solutions, Mr. Patrick Uzu, commented on the results.
These results show that Jolly Phonics is having an impact in classrooms and helping to build teacher confidence while giving children foundational reading skills – Uzu
The Chief Executive Officer of Universal Learning Solutions, Mr. Gary Foxcroft, described the scope of the exercise.
This was the largest early-grade pupil assessment ever undertaken in Nigeria. It reflects the dedication of thousands of people – Foxcroft
He acknowledged the monitors across 33 states who carried out the assessment and the teachers implementing the phonics programme in their classrooms.
Gilbert Jolly, CEO of Jolly Learning, noted Nigeria’s adoption of systematic phonics instruction.
Nigeria is following the path of other countries such as Singapore and Ireland, where Jolly Phonics has been used alongside strong literacy outcomes in international assessments like the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) – Jolly
The Jolly Phonics programme uses a systematic approach to teaching reading and writing through phonics. Children learn the sounds that letters make rather than just letter names, which research indicates can help with word decoding when learning to read.
The programme has been implemented in Nigerian schools with support from state education boards and the Universal Basic Education Commission. Teachers receive training in phonics instruction methods, and pupils are assessed regularly to monitor progress.
The 2025 National Phonics Screening Exercise represents an effort to measure literacy outcomes across Nigeria’s education system. By testing more than 72,000 pupils in a single assessment cycle, education authorities have gathered data on teaching methods and their outcomes.
The findings indicate that structured literacy programmes combined with teacher training can produce measurable improvements in large education systems. The improvement in word-reading ability among Primary 3 pupils since 2019 suggests that consistent implementation of teaching methods can yield results over time.
However, challenges remain. While the proportion of pupils meeting reading benchmarks has increased, the majority of pupils in Primary 1 and Primary 2 are still below the national targets. Continued investment in teacher training, learning materials and assessment systems will be necessary to reach more children.
Universal Learning Solutions is an education organization working in Nigeria and other countries to support literacy programmes, teacher training and assessment systems. The organization partners with government agencies and education boards to implement reading programmes in schools.
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