Stakeholders Chart New Path for Education in Conflict-Hit Nigerian Communities
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Centre For the Study of the Economies of Africa(CSEA) | The launch of the Policy Learning Working Group in Nigeria

The Centre for the Study of the Economies of Africa (CSEA), in collaboration with Associate for Change (AFC) and the Centre d’Études, de Recherches, et de Formation pour le Dévelopement Economique et Social (CERFODES), held a stakeholder engagement and co-creation workshop in Abuja, Nigeria, from July 7 to 9, 2025. Participants included representatives from the Federal Ministry of Education (FME), the Borno State government, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), and academia. The event fostered collaboration to improve access, retention, and learning for out-of-school children and youth (OOSCY) in conflict-affected Nigerian regions.

The event is part of the project titled Advancing Educational Solutions: Research for Scaling Education Innovations in Emergencies and Fragile, Conflict, and Violence-Affected Areas of Burkina Faso, Ghana, and Nigeria supported by the Global Partnership for Education Knowledge and Innovation Exchange (GPE KIX), a joint endeavour with the International Development Research Centre (IDRC).

The Policy Learning Working Group (PLWG) officially launched the three-day event. Chaired by Dr Folake Olatunji David, GPE focal point (Federal Ministry of Education, Nigeria), with Dr Claris Ujam, GPE KIX focal point (Federal Ministry of Education,Nigeria) and Dr Garba Gandu, Director, Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC), the PLWG provides a platform for problem-solving, policy feedback, and planning, ensuring research evidence informs education responses in emergencies.

The following days featured presentations by the project team in Nigeria, led by Dr Oluwatosin Edafe, Research Fellow at CSEA, discussing project goals and evidence. Innovations in education, such as the Accelerated Basic Education Programme (ABEP), Girls for Girls (G4G), and radio-based learning, provide practical solutions for reaching children who have been left behind and are already implemented in difficult settings by the Kanem Borno Human Development Association (KABHUDA), Horn of Hope Vision for Peace and Community Development (HOHVIPAD), amongst others. However, stronger coordination, government backing, and shared learning are vital to scale these strategies.

The workshop also built stakeholder capacity in gender-responsive programming, research ethics, disaster risk strategies, and locally responsive research. These guide field tool design, sampling strategies, and community engagement. Next steps include co-creation workshops with stakeholders, community leaders, and education actors in Borno State, Nigeria, to validate and refine intervention strategies, ensure contextual relevance, and promote local ownership of the research process.

 

Watch the event introduction video by the Project team in Nigeria: Event Highlight Video  

Learn  more about this GPE KIX research :  Advancing Education Solutions.