6th November 2025
Across the world, nations rise when their children learn. In Bayelsa, we believe that every classroom must be a place where pupils gain the skills to read, think, solve problems and shape their futures. That belief has guided our reforms in basic education, and today we are seeing results that once felt out of reach for public school systems in Nigeria.
Under the visionary leadership of His Excellency, Governor Douye Diri, Bayelsa is proving that public school children can learn at world-class levels when given the right support. We are not borrowing examples from abroad. We are creating them here.
One of the clearest examples of what is possible and the best impact of our educational improvement comes from the Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area. In this local government area, children have demonstrated that world-class learning is not reserved for private schools or wealthy nations. After just two years and two terms of BayelsaPRIME support, the average Primary 4 pupil in Kolokuma/Opokuma improved their reading fluency by 63 correct words per minute. They now read an average of 102 words per minute, the expected benchmark for Grade 4 pupils in high-performing countries like the United States.
For a public school system in the Niger Delta, and indeed, Nigeria, this is not a small achievement. It is history being rewritten.
In numeracy, the progress is equally significant. The average Primary 4 pupil in Kolokuma/Opokuma nearly doubled their performance on the International Common Assessment of Numeracy, growing by 35 percentage points. Before BayelsaPRIME, pupils in the upper primary grades performed at levels similar to learners in low to lower-middle-income countries such as Nepal and Nicaragua. Today, they are performing more like their peers in Kenya and Pakistan, nations recognised for strong gains in foundational learning.
These are not hypothetical models or pilot results. These are real children in Bayelsa public schools, taught by Bayelsa teachers, reaching global standards.
Through BayelsaPRIME, our foundational learning programme, children in our state are reading faster, understanding more and growing in confidence. They are learning even in the face of unique challenges, including seasonal flooding that disrupts normal schooling. When climate interruptions forced schools to close, our teachers adapted. Radio lessons, home learning support and structured methods ensured that learning continued. We did not let nature dictate the future of Bayelsa’s children. We are always proactive.
The results speak clearly. Across the state, literacy and numeracy are improving at unprecedented rates. Parents are noticing the difference; teachers are proud of what their classrooms are achieving, and communities are regaining trust in public schools. What we are seeing is not just academic progress. It is a renewal of belief in education as the most powerful tool for opportunity.
This transformation did not happen by accident. It took leadership, system-wide commitment and a relentless focus on what matters for learning. From day one, Governor Diri has made it clear that Bayelsa will build an education system not based on slogans, but on measurable learning outcomes. We invested in teacher training that is practical and consistent. We introduced structured teaching methods aligned to global research. We used data to support schools in real time, not years after the fact. And above all, we placed every Bayelsa child at the centre of the system.
Our governor understands that when children in schools across the state can read at world-class levels, it changes the economic and social trajectory of our state. That belief has guided investments in science, digital systems, teacher support and resilient learning methods adapted to our geography.
Bayelsa is demonstrating that excellence is not defined by geography, but by priority.
I am encouraged by what we have accomplished, but even more inspired by what lies ahead. We will continue to build strong schools, support teachers and give families confidence in the public education system. Bayelsa will remain a state where learning is not a privilege, but a right. Where the government does not wait for the future, but prepares children to shape it.
As we continue this journey, one message is clear. Nigeria can deliver world-standard education. Bayelsa is doing it already. And if we stay the course, our children will not just match their peers abroad. They will lead them.
The proof is simple: when a child in Bayelsa State learns at the same level as a child in California, the world sees what Bayelsa has always known. Our children can compete with the best. Our duty is to keep building systems that let them show it.
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