Fellow: Benjamin Yunana Maigari

Grant Year: 2019

Location: Kaduna State, Nigeria

Organization: Africa Media Development Foundation (AMDF)

Project title: Advocating for Policy Formulation and Adoption of Free and Compulsory Education for Girls in Public Secondary Schools

Project summary: AMDF is working to close the gender gap in education in Kaduna State, a state with very poor education outcomes, including low student attendance rates and high dropout rates. The 2016-2020 Kaduna State Development Plan revealed that an estimated 37% of students drop out by year 6 of primary school, and only 23% of all female students complete school. To close this gender gap, in August 2018, the Kaduna State government declared there would be free and compulsory education for girls in public secondary schools across the state. However, there are no supporting policies in place to guide the implementation and sustainability of this pronouncement, making its realization difficult. AMDF is advocating for the executive governor of Kaduna State to approve a policy and implementation framework for the provision of free and compulsory education for girls in public secondary schools in Kaduna State by 2020. Once the framework is signed and implemented, the Kaduna State Ministry of Education predicts the completion rate of female students in public secondary schools will increase from 23% to 53% and impact more than 224,000 girls in secondary school across the state.