Main barriers to education
- Lack of qualified teachers
- Poor school management
- Limited national census data
- Security
Interventions to barriers
- Participation of private sector
- Renovation of dilapidated schools
- Teacher training
- School management training
According to the UIS, 45 percent of Nigeria’s population is under the age of 15 and the number of out of school children (OOSC) exceeds 8.7 million (GMR, 2010). With such a large school-age population, Nigeria has experienced significant strains on its education system. The country’s National Policy on Education was first elaborated in 1977 and at present provides for seven years of pre and primary education.
Recently, Nigeria has been adversely impacted by falling oil prices, which has led to shortfalls in public finances and the government’s capacity to invest in the education sector. Furthermore, violent attacks from militant groups have done extensive damage to the country’s infrastructure. Such actions have resulted in considerable numbers of displaced people, loss of life and impoverishment.
In an attempt to support Nigeria’s education reform initiatives and relieve the pressure on government resources, EAC has forged partnerships with Cambridge Education, the Oando Foundation and UNICEF to increase access to quality-primary education, relaunch an array of government-run primary schools, and train teachers and school management staff.