A consortium led by Plan International Nigeria, funded by the European Union, is launching an ambitious project to re-enroll 300,000 out-of-school children in three North West states of Nigeria: Kano, Jigawa, and Sokoto.
This initiative, dubbed the Accelerated Basic Education Program (ABEP), aims to provide non-formal education and empowerment to children and youths between 10 and 18 years old.
According to Tobi Ransomed, EU Consortium Lead and Education Advisor of Plan International Nigeria, “this project aims to support education and youth empowerment by providing youth, particularly girls in rural underserved and nomadic communities, with access to inclusive gender transformative and conflict-sensitive equitable quality education and skill development.”
The three-year project, running from July 2024 to June 2027, will focus on 12 Local Government Areas with high numbers of out-of-school children. Ransomed explained that ABEP will “fill the gaps” in education for children who have been out of school for a while, rather than starting from scratch.
Key Objectives:
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Provide non-formal education and empowerment to 300,000 out-of-school children and youths
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Increase access to vocational training, including green jobs and critical skills development
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Support education and youth empowerment in rural underserved and nomadic communities
Challenges addressed:
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High poverty levels forcing children into economic activities
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Frequent attacks on schools and kidnappings
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Gender discrimination and early marriages
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Poorly resourced schools and teacher shortages
With a committed budget of 10 million Euros from the EU, this project is set to make a significant impact on education in Nigeria’s Northwest region