Bukola Afeni
The Centre for the Study of the Economies of Africa (CSEA) and Associates for Change (AFC), in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Education (FME) and key partners, has launched the inaugural Policy Learning Working Group (PLWG) to support the design, implementation, and scale-up of the Accelerated Education Program (AEP) in Northern Nigeria, particularly Borno State.
The group will guide strategy, scale innovations, and align education reforms with national goals, promoting inclusion, resilience, and sustainable learning outcomes.
The membership in the PLWG includes members of the Federal Ministry of Education, state universal basic education boards (SUBEBs), civil society, and other key development partners implementing educational innovations in Nigeria.
The Honourable Minister of State for Education, represented by Dr. Claris Ujam, Deputy Director, Department of Educational Planning, Research and Development, FME, and KIX Africa 19 Focal Point, reiterated the Ministry of Education’s focus on out-of-school children (OOSC) and work on data gathering through the Nigerian Education Data Initiative (NEDI).
“We want a situation where NGO and ministry activities can contribute to a harmonized data dashboard daily.”
During the three-day stakeholder engagement and co-creation workshop, members of PLWG were trained on stakeholder mapping; data collection and analysis; monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL); research ethics; gender, equity, and social inclusion; among other developing research strategies to advance educational solutions in Nigeria and across Africa.
The Director of Research at the Centre for the Study of the Economies of Africa (CSEA), Dr. Adedeji Adeniran, spoke about the importance of working together with various partners, including governments, NGOs, and education innovators, to improve education in Nigeria from 2025 to 2026.
The Special Adviser on Education to H.E. Executive Governor of Borno State, Dr. Abubakar Tijani, in his goodwill message, emphasised that Borno State is one of the most affected areas.
While stating that violence doesn’t start due to illiteracy but idleness, he commended the Governor of Borno State for initiating actions to mitigate the situation.
This project is funded by the Global Partnership for Education Knowledge and Innovation Exchange (GPE-KIX) and aims to improve education solutions in emergency situations and areas affected by conflict in Burkina Faso, Ghana, and Nigeria, working together with the Centre for the Study of the Economies of Africa (CSEA) in Nigeria, Associate for Change (AFC) in Ghana, and the Centre d’Études, de Recherches, et de Formation pour le Développement Economique et Social (CERFODES) in Burkina Faso.
