Why Early Reading Matters: Literacy Gaps in Communities Across Nigeria

Our founder was recently on a business trip to a remote village in Southern Kaduna and was shocked to discover some of the worst neglect anyone could imagine regarding education of our young children at the primary level. As a nonprofit HoodProf focuses on developing literacy level amongst kids between age 6-10 years in underserved communities and the level of rot of our educational system in some part of the country is better imagined.

While waiting for an acquittance at the village square known as chikingari, he spoke with a young girl of about 9-10 years old, who said she was in primary four. He gave her a hundred naira note and asked her to read what was printed on it. To his amazement the young girl could not read Central Bank of Nigeria printed at the top of the currency. This case is not an isolated one as he soon discovered how the rot has permeated every strata of the educational system in that community.

While he was waiting to see a catholic priest in the village, he had a chit chat with his young butler, who just completed his secondary education. The general language in Kenyi is Hausa although they are Koro people, so Hausa language is the Lingua Franca. Conversation with the young lad wasn’t a smooth sailing as he speaks a smattering of English. This was a classic case of a warped educational foundation that has a lasting negative effect on a child’s academic development.

When I enquired about his academic pursuit he proudly told me he just finished his WAEC na he cleared all his papers. There’s a general believe that exams in many parts of the country is a matter of cash and carry. Sad!

Out-of-school children Nigeria has 10.2 million primary-age and 8.1 million secondary-age children out of school 2024 SitAn. Kaduna authorities report a local drop of 300,000 out-of-school children in 2024-25. Foundational reading Nationally, only 27% of children 7-14 demonstrate reading comprehension the North-West, where Kaduna State is located, averages 9–10% reading with meaning the steepest gap in the country.