Impact Blog
How NEI Plus Responded to Learning in the COVID-19 Pandemic
When Nigeria’s schools closed in March due to COVID-19, teachers and students — like many around the world — left their classrooms unsure of when they would be able to return. The USAID Northern Education Initiative Plus program (NEI Plus) — which has worked to strengthen access and quality of basic education through new and engaging teaching approaches and learning
THE USAID – NORTHERN EDUCATION INITIATIVE PLUS BUILDS CAPACITY TO IMPROVE LEARNING OUTCOMES IN NIGERIA ZALIHA’S STORY: FROM CLASSROOOM TEACHER TO READING SPECIALIST
Zaliha Nasiruddeen Bello has been working in the academic field for almost two decades. In 2003, she started her academic career as a classroom teacher working with the Sokoto State Basic Education. After working as a classroom teacher for 7 years, Zaliha landed a job as an educator at the Shehu Shagari College of Education in 2009. In 2015, she
USAID’s NORTHERN EDUCATION INITIATIVE PLUS ADOLESCENT GIRLS LEARNING CENTRES ARE BRIDGING THE GAP IN GIRLS’ EDUCATION
Socio-cultural norms and economic barriers play a major role in hindering girls from going to school in Africa. According to UNICEF, 10.5 million children are out of school in Nigeria and 60 percent are from Northern Nigeria, with girls representing a larger portion of the disadvantaged. In regions like Northern Nigeria, cultural expectations often limit a girl’s future to a
USAID Helps Keep Bauchi Students Learning Under Lockdown Through E-Learning Collaboration
Bauchi – To help students learn during the COVID-19-induced school break, USAID through the Northern Education Initiative Plus project has partnered with UNICEF, Bauchi State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) , state radio and television boards, and local universities to develop a multimedia e-learning program that will reach 1.7 primary, secondary, and koranic school students in the state. The lessons
DARAZO WOMEN BUILD TOILETS FOR NON-FORMAL LEARNING CENTER
The Northern Education Initiative Plus project encourages community participation while working to provide basic education across 20 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Sokoto and Bauchi states. Women groups volunteer to visit house-to-house to educate parents of the benefits of sending their children to school. They engage community leaders who in turn lend their support to the importance of education. These
STRENGTHENING QUALITY OF TEACHER RECRUITMENT AND DEPLOYMENT POLICY
Employing qualified teachers is central to achieving basic quality education. Standards of education are lowered when there is no policy in place to regulate the recruitment of trained and qualified teachers. In 2012, the Northern Education Initiative in collaboration with policy-level officials from the education sector developed the Bauchi State Teacher Recruitment and (TRD) policy document. This policy document was
ALMAJIRIS ACCESS BASIC EDUCATION AT NON-FORMAL LEARNING CENTER
At the Da’awa Non-formal learning centre in Zango community, Bauchi State, about 70 almajiris (out-of-school boys roaming the street) learn to read and write. Amina Usman, teacher at the centre, speaking about her motivation said “It doesn’t matter if it is not your child, if you help other people’s children to learn, you make a big contribution to society,” she
Non-formal Learning Center Creates Path to Formal Education in Rural Community
Many children in Northern Nigeria do not have access to schools or alternative education. Children in these communities grow up without foundational literacy, numeracy or social skills, limiting their potential and putting them at a higher risk of joining insurgencies. The USAID funded Northern Education Initiative Plus works in Bauchi and Sokoto states to improve early grade reading and strengthen
Atika Abubakar, 15 – Too few schools
Atika Abukakar lives in Kajiji village in Shagari local government area of Sokoto state. It is a community where many girls spend many hours during the day collecting firewood in the bushes. Though Atika wanted to get an education, she dropped out after attending school for a week. “My parents withdrew me from school because the teacher hardly came to
Atiku Mohammed, 18- Knowledge brings progress
Atiku Mohammed is an 18-year old merchant in Shagari local government area of Sokoto state. Though Atiku graduated from an Islamic school, he could not read or write. “I wanted to learn to read and write, but I did not know in what ways it will be useful to me,” Atiku admits. When the Northern Education Initiative Plus opened a
