Nigeria

Summary of needs

The north-eastern region of Nigeria is facing an acute education crisis. Prolonged conflict and the deepening impacts of climate change, particularly seasonal droughts and flooding, coupled with widespread poverty, have forced many families to prioritize basic survival over education. Persistent crises have severely damaged school infrastructure, increased teacher shortages and displaced 2 million children in the BAY states. Attacks on schools, kidnappings and abductions in remote rural areas have created significant protection concerns and severely limited access to education. Currently, 60 per cent of IDP children in camps have no access to education, and host community schools face extreme capacity constraints, unable to accommodate additional displaced children. Around 51 per cent of the displaced population in the BAY states are school-age children (3-17 years).

Response strategy

The Education Sector Response plan addresses the urgent educational needs in crisis-affected LGAs. It aims to create a safe and inclusive learning environment that supports vulnerable children, including girls, boys, IDP children, and those with disabilities. The plan focuses on strengthening the education system, enabling it to deliver quality, inclusive and relevant education that safeguards the needs of diverse learners while empowering their caregivers. The Education Sector will work closely with the state ministries of education to address urgent education needs and facilitate the transition to formal education. This response will primarily focus on enhancing access to education, learning and vocational skills. Key interventions include catch-up classes, accelerated learning programmes, vocational skills training, and mental health and psychosocial support. These critical interventions are vital in addressing the complex learning needs of children who have experienced years of disruption and missed schooling. Teachers will be trained on tailored teaching methods to address the learning gaps.

The response prioritizes the most marginalized children, especially in underserved LGAs with acute needs, focusing on girls, boys, children with disabilities, teachers, and educational personnel impacted by the crisis. It addresses the needs of both in-camp and out-of-camp learning facilities and supports children who have missed significant amounts of school, including those displaced multiple times and those in areas with limited or no access to education services.

The Education Sector will adopt diverse learning approaches. In camps, sector partners will work with the CCCM Sector to provide designated spaces for education and employ alternative methods, including learning circles and radio-based instruction, as well as formal classes. Outside the camps, sector partners will collaborate with the government to enroll children in schools, and, for those children who cannot attend school, will employ flexible learning models tailored to their circumstances. In addition, to address the number of out-of-school children, CVA will be provided to families to help them overcome any financial barriers to education and incentivize enrolment in school.

The Education Sector advocates for cost-effective, innovative solutions, emphasizing blended learning in both formal and non-formal settings. Drawing on past lessons, the Sector should implement locally tailored, self-paced and affordable alternative learning modalities to reach children with limited access to formal education. These approaches are crucial for enrolling out-of-school children, especially where traditional learning is hindered by conflict, disease outbreaks or climate-related risks like flooding.

The Education Sector is committed to responding to emergencies in an integrated fashion and seeks to collaborate with relevant sectors to reinforce the resilience of the education system. Furthermore, it will collaborate closely with other sectors, including the WASH and Protection Sector, to address a wide spectrum of issues such as mental health and well- being, school WASH facilities, disease outbreak prevention, school safety, school feeding programmes, and the prevention of school-related GBV.

Targeting & prioritization

The Education Sector’s targeting and prioritization strategy aligns with OCHA-led boundary-setting and intersectoral severity rankings. The targeting also considers partner capacity and presence, and government priorities. The focus will be on severity level 4 LGAs, and prioritized parts of the 23 LGAs at severity level 3. Additionally, the Sector will emphasize resilience-building in LGAs with substantial partner investments, aligning the education-in-emergencies (EiE) response with long-term plans. LGAs with a high influx of IDPs, both in and out of camps, will also be prioritized. Building on the 2024 HRP, the education sector will continue its efforts in the following areas:

1. Essential education-in-emergencies support: Affected children (including boys, girls, and children with disabilities) receive vital support to continue their education and access life-saving mental health, assistance and social and emotional learning.
2. Right to safe and secure education: Affected children (boys, girls, and children with disabilities) have safe, secure and uninterrupted access to education services in schools that meet Safe Schools Declaration standards.
3. Continuity and transformation: Affected children (boys, girls, and children with disabilities) continue their education and learning beyond emergency response, empowered by a resilient education system that facilitates their transition to the formal system.

More specifically, the Education Sector will focus on covering the gaps in education services, both in and outside of camps, for the most vulnerable displaced children. The Sector will also adopt anticipatory and preparedness approaches to minimize the impact of future shocks, promote durable solutions, and contribute to disaster risk reduction efforts.

Promoting quality & inclusive programming

The Education Sector Response Plan is informed by extensive consultations with children, teachers, parents and local actors, ensuring accountability and responsiveness to the needs of affected populations. Gender considerations, PSEA and child safeguarding principles are embedded throughout the response to ensure safe and inclusive education programmes that meet the needs of boys and girls, as well as children with disabilities. The response is guided by the multi- year Education-in-Emergencies Strategic Plan (2024- 2026), with a focus on equitable, inclusive and quality learning for all.

Cost of response

The Education Sector requires approximately $35.7 million, leveraging existing capacities. The Sector will consider the cost- per-child during the project partner review process, typically ranging between $50 and $70, depending on factors such as project location and the type of activity (soft or hard). All projects will align with the Sector's cost-per-child methodology, with flexibility for exceptional circumstances.