The Benue State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) has officially commenced the 2026 National Learning Assessment, marking the start of a significant nationwide exercise aimed at evaluating learners’ performance and strengthening education delivery across the state.
Following the declaration of the National Learning Assessment Week by the Honourable Minister for Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, which runs from June 29 to July 5, 2026, Benue State swung into action with the training of assessors. The training, held on Monday at the SUBEB headquarters in Makurdi, was organized under the joint implementation of the Federal Ministry of Education, the World Bank, UBEC, and UNICEF. It equipped participants with the necessary skills for effective implementation and credible data collection.
Speaking at the event, the Executive Chairman of Benue SUBEB, Dr. Grace Adagba, described the National Learning Assessment (NLA) as a strategic initiative that will provide valuable insights into learners’ performance and enhance the quality of education delivery. Dr. Adagba highlighted that a pilot phase of the assessment was successfully conducted in May 2026 across three Local Government Areas, while the main exercise will cover 11 Local Government Education Authorities (LGEAs) in the state.
She noted the exercise’s importance in the context of the recent recruitment of over 9,000 teachers by the Benue State Government under Governor Rev. Fr. Dr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia. The findings from the assessment are expected to help identify learning gaps, assess progress, and guide targeted interventions.
Dr. Phoebe Veronica Jatau, the NLA Team Lead from UBEC Headquarters, explained that the National Learning Assessment is a merger of the National Monitoring of Learning Achievement (NMLA) and the National Assessment on Learning Achievement in Basic Education (NALABE). The assessment targets learners in Basic 3, Basic 5, Basic 9, and Senior Secondary School 2 (SSS 2) in both public and private schools.
Dr. Jatau urged assessors to uphold transparency, integrity, and accuracy in the administration of the assessment tools, stressing that credible data remains essential for effective planning and policy direction.
Participants at the training included principals and head teachers from the 11 LGEAs, quality assurance officers, SUBEB board members, and representatives from the Federal and State Ministries of Education.
The commencement of this exercise underscores Benue State’s commitment to improving educational outcomes through data-driven decision-making and collaborative efforts with key stakeholders.
