USAID Team Pays Advocacy Visit to NIEPA Ondo, Offers Technical Support for Instructional Leadership

A high-level delegation from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Learn to Read Project Team, led by Professor Olatoun Akinsolu, Federal Advisor and Team Lead, paid an advocacy visit to the National Institute for Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA) in Ondo State. The meeting, which took place on Thursday 2nd May 2024, focused on exploring ways in which USAID can provide technical support to enable NIEPA to fulfill its mandate in the area of instructional leadership.

During the meeting, Professor Akinsolu informed her hosts that NIEPA is one of the select few institutions benefiting from USAID’s technical support, with only 10 Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) receiving such support nationwide. She emphasized the need for NIEPA to “up their ante” in delivering quality services, as the education sector is facing challenges from unqualified practitioners offering capacity-building programs, which are harming the quality of education in the country.

The USAID Learn to Read Project team, which included the Standards Advisor, Aina Oluwarotimi Opeyemi and Zakariyau Abdulkadir Aliyu who serves as the Federal Budget and Planning Advisor, were received by the management of NIEPA, led by the Acting Director General, Dr. David Shofoyeke, and other heads of departments, in an elaborate ceremony. The meeting provided an opportunity for both parties to discuss areas of collaboration and explore ways to strengthen the institute’s capacity for instructional leadership.

Professor Akinsolu highlighted USAID’s Early Grade Reading Programme as an opportunity for NIEPA to key into and prepare a position paper towards its actualization. The Early Grade Reading Programme is a flagship initiative of USAID aimed at improving the reading skills of children in grades 1-3. The program focuses on developing and implementing evidence-based reading interventions, building the capacity of teachers and school administrators, and promoting a culture of reading in schools and communities.

USAID’s support to NIEPA through the Early Grade Reading Programme will enable the institute to develop and implement effective instructional leadership programs, aimed at improving the quality of education in Nigeria. The program will also provide opportunities for NIEPA to collaborate with other stakeholders in the education sector, including state and local governments, schools, and communities, to promote a culture of reading and improve educational outcomes.

In his closing remarks, the Acting Registrar of NIEPA, Dr. Festus Olaolu thanked the USAID team for their visit and expressed gratitude for their technical support. He also requested more areas of collaboration, emphasizing the institute’s commitment to promoting quality education in Nigeria.

According to a statement released by the Media Officer, Bodunde Tenabe on behalf of the NIEPA-USAID Learn to Read Desk Officer, Dr. Deborah Eyarefe, the visit marked a significant milestone in the partnership between USAID and NIEPA, and both parties are expected to work closely together to achieve their shared goals in the education sector.