Laying the Foundation: How Zamfara State Is Transforming Early Literacy -By Aliyu Mohammed

Building the foundation with a clear determination to sustain the momentum, the Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Zamfara State, Hon. Abdulmalik Abubakar Gajam, recently convened a high-level strategic meeting with Education Secretaries (ESs), School Support Officers (SSOs), and SUBEB Zonal Directors. This engagement was deliberately designed to align primary education leadership with the “State of Emergency” on education declared by His Excellency, Governor Dauda Lawal — a declaration that signals not alarm, but an urgent, non-negotiable commitment to educational transformation across Zamfara State.

At the heart of the Commissioner’s address was a clear and plain directive: the era of paperwork must give way to verifiable, physical evidence of progress across all fourteen (14) Local Government Areas. In his words, the state’s education officers must now serve as the true “eyes and ears” of government — present in schools, holding teachers accountable, eliminating absenteeism, and ensuring that learning materials reach every child, in every classroom, without exception.

The Commissioner was equally emphatic about the stakes involved: a weak SUBEB foundation, he warned, puts the entire reform agenda at risk. He therefore called for urgent, committed, round-the-clock dedication, reinforcing the principle that in this season of transformation, no child must be left behind.

As the American civil rights leader Malcolm X powerfully stated, “The future belongs to those who prepare for it today.” The Commissioner’s meeting was precisely that preparation in action.

Following consultations with these key education authorities in the state, the Commissioner moved swiftly to action, convening an ongoing 14-day Strategic Synthesis Programme of the Zamfara State Ministry of Education. The initiative focuses on accountability, competence, and practical delivery, which is designed to strengthen implementation and deliver measurable improvements across the state’s education sector.

In an interview with Troubleshooter Reporters, the Technical Education Specialist at Universal Learning Solutions (ULS), Abbas Muhammad, disclosed that ULS will extend formal invitations to the Honourable Commissioner for Education, Zamfara State, Hon. Abdulmalik Abubakar Gajam; the Executive Chairman of Zamfara State Universal Basic Education Board (ZSUBEB), Prof. Nasiru Garba Anka; and the Director of School Services, Alh. Abubakar Abdullahi Gusau, to attend the Jolly Phonics Trainer Conference in Hyderabad, India, from 13th to 15th July, 2026. The conference will showcase how the Jolly Phonics programme is driving positive educational impact across the globe.

“The Commissioner has demonstrated the readiness to take basic education in Zamfara State to greater heights, and ULS, through the Jolly Phonics Literacy Project, will help him achieve that based on what we have done so far,” Abbas said.

He also added that Jolly Phonics is willing and ready to collaborate with the Hope-Edu Project in Zamfara State to accelerate improvements in literacy outcomes. The partnership would combine Jolly Phonics’ proven synthetic phonics methodology with Hope-Edu’s on-the-ground networks, giving teachers additional training, tools and structured support to raise foundational reading and writing skills across the state.

A recent executive monitoring visit to Tudun Wada Model Primary School, Gusau, provided compelling and heartwarming evidence of ongoing Jolly Phonics Literacy Transformation in Zamfara State. The visit was led by the ZSUBEB Executive Chairman, Professor Nasiru Garba Anka, and Universal Learning Solutions’ Technical Education Specialist, Abbas Muhammad, the joint executive monitoring team witnessed something remarkable: Primary 1 and Primary 2 pupils confidently and excitedly reading words when they were tested by the executive chairman himself. These are children who, not long ago, were just beginning their educational journey. This milestone is a direct proof to the effectiveness of the Jolly Phonics approach, which makes teaching and learning not only effective but genuinely enjoyable for young learners.

The executive monitoring exercise itself is equally significant, as it demonstrates the kind of purposeful government-partner collaboration that is essential to improving education, particularly at the basic level — the very foundation upon which all future learning is built. Special appreciation was duly extended to the dedicated teachers, passionate educators, the pupils themselves, and Universal Learning Solutions for their collective roles in driving this success.

Furthermore, in the spirit of collaboration that has come to define Zamfara State’s educational rebirth, the ZSUBEB Executive Chairman, Professor Nasiru Garba Anka, formally acknowledged and commended the Commissioner’s leadership in a letter of appreciation to the Commissioner. In it, Professor Anka praised the Commissioner for organising an inclusive interactive session that brought together key education officers — Education Secretaries (ESs), School Support Officers (SSOs), and Chief Inspectors of Education (CIEs) — from all fourteen (14) Local Government Education Authorities (LGEAs) across the state. He described the initiative as a clear and commendable demonstration of inclusive leadership and a genuine commitment to stakeholder engagement at every level of the education system.

According to the Executive Chairman, the session provided an invaluable platform for open dialogue, policy clarification, and the free exchange of ideas among frontline education officials — the very individuals who translate policy into practice. He further emphasised that such high-level engagements are not merely symbolic but are fundamentally essential for cultivating a sense of shared responsibility, deepening mutual understanding, and ultimately strengthening the education system across Zamfara State.

Taken together, these developments — the demonstrated success of the Jolly Phonics programme at the classroom level, the Commissioner’s strategic alignment meeting, and the ZSUBEB Executive Chairman’s public commendation of collaborative leadership, paint a coherent and encouraging picture. Zamfara State is not simply responding to an education crisis; it is proactively building a system rooted in accountability, partnership, and an unshakeable belief in the potential of every child.

Zamfara State has boldly positioned itself as the pioneer and leading advocate of the Jolly Phonics literacy programme in Northern Nigeria. Developed and delivered by Universal Learning Solutions, Jolly Phonics is a structured, evidence-based programme that focuses on early reading and writing skills for beginners of the English language. Since its inception, the programme has been fully and consistently implemented across the state, owing in large part to the constant support of relevant education authorities committed to building a literate generation from the basic level.

As the renowned educationist Nelson Mandela once observed, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” Zamfara State appears to have taken this charge to heart.

As the journey continues, one truth remains constant: when government, educators, partners/NGOs, and communities work together or collaborate, the barriers to literacy do not merely crack — they fall.