The Federal Government, through the Ministry of Education, has launched two strategic reports aimed at reforming and strengthening girl-child education in Nigeria.
The reports “State of Girl-Child Education in Ten States” and “Analysis of State-Level Financing of Girl-Child Education in Nigeria” were unveiled in Abuja by the Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Ahmad, during a high-level stakeholders’ meeting.
Professor Ahmad said the documents would guide data-driven policy decisions, enhance budgetary planning, and drive targeted investments to ensure inclusive and equitable education for Nigerian girls. She also announced a fresh initiative to return out-of-school girls to classrooms, stressing the need for gender-responsive budgeting and stronger collaboration between federal and state governments.
Findings from the Girls’ Education Performance Assessment showed improvements in school enrollment and retention, especially in states with strong community and donor engagement. However, the financing report revealed stark disparities in education funding. States like Jigawa (32%), Kano (31%), and Kaduna (26%) lead in education investment, while Akwa Ibom (6%), Sokoto (8%), and Gombe (9.8%) are among the lowest spenders.
Mr. Sunkanmi Adefadoju of SSPL advocated for the institutionalization of support measures such as cash transfers, scholarships, and school feeding to close funding gaps. SSPL CEO, Murtala Adogi Mohammed, also called for an urgent increase in education funding, noting that Nigeria currently allocates only 1.9% of its national budget to education—far below the global benchmark of 4%.
Malala Fund CEO, Nabila Aguele, described the reports as “tools for action,” urging all stakeholders to implement concrete reforms based on the findings.
The event brought together Commissioners of Education, representatives of UNESCO, civil society organizations, and other key actors in the education sector.
