By Uzair Adam
The Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) has intensified efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s basic education system through international collaboration, as it participates in the 2026 British Council South–South Learning Symposium in New Delhi.
The Daily Reality reports that this development was disclosed in a post shared on the Council’s official Facebook page on Monday.
Leading Nigeria’s delegation is the Executive Secretary of NERDC, Salisu Shehu, whose participation highlights the country’s growing focus on adopting global best practices to improve foundational learning, particularly in literacy, numeracy and multilingual education.
The symposium convenes policymakers, education experts and development partners from across the Global South to exchange ideas on strengthening foundational education systems and promoting the use of multiple languages in learning, especially in culturally diverse societies.
During his engagements, Shehu pointed to Nigeria’s ongoing curriculum reforms, with emphasis on improving basic education delivery and expanding the use of indigenous languages in teaching.
He noted that collaboration among countries with similar socio-cultural realities offers practical and adaptable solutions to shared educational challenges.
He also presented an overview of NERDC’s mandate at the opening session of the programme, outlining the Council’s role in shaping Nigeria’s curriculum and driving innovation in the sector.
NERDC said its participation provides an opportunity to draw lessons from countries like India, particularly in managing multilingual education on a large scale, as well as exploring emerging approaches such as technology-driven and inclusive learning models.
The Council added that insights gained from the symposium would support ongoing education reforms and enhance curriculum development in Nigeria, reaffirming its commitment to improving the quality and inclusiveness of learning nationwide.
