Education Cannot Wait Announces US$15 Million Multi-Year Resilience Programme Catalytic Grant in Nigeria, Total ECW Funding in Nigeria Tops US$41 Million

Nigeria faces an unprecedented education crisis. Approximately 17.8 million children are out of school, including 8.9 million crisis-affected girls and boys who are unable to access basic education in primary school. 

In response to the crisis, Education Cannot Wait (ECW) and its strategic partners announced today expanded financing for a US$15 million Multi-Year Resilience Programme that will reach over 130,000 children and adolescents over the next three years. 

The grant builds on the impact of ECW’s ongoing investments in Nigeria, which have already reached over a half a million children with the safety, hope and opportunity that quality, holistic education provides. Total ECW funding in Nigeria now tops US$41.1 million. 

The grant will be delivered by UNICEF Nigeria in coordination with the Government of Nigeria and a wide array of international and local partners in North-East Nigeria. Consortium partners include the Norwegian Refugee Council, Save the Children International and Global Village Healthcare Initiative for Africa (GHIV Africa). 

“North-East Nigeria has suffered for far too long. I have met with both girls and boys who have been abducted. I have seen the impressive results once they return to school, receive mental health and psychosocial services and can rebuild their young lives. We cannot fail the children who are maimed and abducted, nor girls forced into child marriage and subjected to sexual violence. We can change all that by financing both protection and recovery through a holistic quality education in a protective learning environment. The international community needs to scale up funding in response to the massive education crisis in Nigeria, and we call for additional financial support,” said Yasmine Sherif, Executive Director of Education Cannot Wait, the global fund for education in emergencies and protracted crises in the United Nations. 

“As a women-led organization and a member of the Borno, Adamawa and Yobe States network of women-led organizations (BAYNETWORK) leading the National NGO consortium (GHIV Africa, CATAI and CASFOD), we are profoundly aware of the urgent need for quality, inclusive education in Nigeria, especially for vulnerable girls. This significant investment from Education Cannot Wait is a vital step towards ensuring that every child, regardless of their circumstances, has access to a safe and protective learning environment,” said Mulikat Bamidele, Executive Director of GHIV Africa. “We are committed to using this funding to empower marginalized girls and women, including those in humanitarian needs, to break the cycle of poverty and gender inequality through education, learning and skills development. Together, we will build a resilient education system that meets the needs of communities and creates a brighter future for our children.” 

The education crisis in Nigeria has reached a fever pitch. Slow economic and social development, rising population growth, a prolonged civil conflict, forced displacement, the climate crisis and other factors are putting millions of girls and boys in harm’s way. 

It is especially challenging in the Northeastern region of the country where the new programme will focus efforts in the Borno, Adamawa and Yobe States. In this region, as many as 5.1 million school-age children require live-saving education support, essential nutrition, WASH and shelter due to widespread internal displacements and other factors.  

Despite these urgent needs, only 13% of the education response for the Nigeria Humanitarian Response Plan was funded prior to ECW’s most recent investment, according to OCHA’s Financial Tracking Service. 

The second phase of the Multi-Year Resilience Programme adopts an intersectional approach to generate transformative change. The programme focuses on four key areas: access, participation, inclusion and equity; gender equality and empowerment; learning, transition, life skills and well-being; and system resilience, evidence and sustainability.