Nigeria—Kano State Education Recovery Conference

DAI is delivering a component of the Partnership for Learning in Nigeria (PLANE), the U.K. Foreign, Commonwealth, & Development Office’s flagship education program, which operates in Kano, Kaduna, and Jigawa states. Of the 20 million Nigerian children out of school, Kano accounts for some 2 million.

Several factors account for Kano’s poor education indicators, including poor infrastructure, lack of training for teachers and other personnel, lack of basic materials such as books, and poor service quality, as reflected in low completion rates and inadequate enrolment of girls. Addressing these challenges requires concerted efforts across government, civil society, and relevant stakeholders; a conference was designed to bring these stakeholders together to identify the most important gaps in Kano’s education sector and develop a roadmap to sustainably address them.

DAI coordinated the conference, leveraging its knowledge of the context and stakeholders in the state, as well as its programme resources to seamlessly deliver the conference.

Photo: from left, Dr. Folake Olatunji-David, Director of Basic Education, Federal Ministry of Education; Cynthia Rowe, Development Director, FCDO, British High Commission, Abuja; Ian Attfield, Senior Education Adviser, British High Commission and Dr. Nguyan Feese, National Team Lead, PLANE.

Sample Activities

• Support the Kano State Government to convene the Kano State Education Recovery Conference.
• Develop the Education Sector SWOT Matrix.
• Develop a Sustainability Framework: Pathways for Continued Improvement and Reform.
• Develop a Conference Report: Comprehensive Documentation of Activities and Outcomes.

Select Results

• Supported the Kano State Government in hosting a two-day Education Recovery Conference at Dangote Business School convening policymakers, educators, development partners, community leaders, civil society representatives, and academics to advance the Kano State Education Recovery initiative. Aimed at revitalizing the state’s education sector, the conference focused on enhancing quality, access, equity, and performance in basic literacy and numeracy. The proceedings yielded valuable recommendations, many of which were endorsed in the final conference communique.