National Policy on Gender in Basic Education

A Policy that eliminates gender disparities in basic education by addressing barriers to access and completion for girls and boys. It targets school-age children, especially girls in underserved areas, teachers, administrators, and community leaders. This achieves gender parity in enrollment, retention, and completion rates across Nigeria.

What Is This Policy?

A policy framework designed to eliminate gender disparities in basic education by addressing the barriers that prevent girls and boys from accessing and completing primary and junior secondary education.

Who Does It Target?

School-age children, with particular focus on girls in underserved regions Teachers and school administrators State and local education authorities Parents and community leaders

What Does It Aim to Achieve?

Achieve gender parity in enrollment, retention, and completion rates at the basic education level across all states in Nigeria, with attention to eliminating socio-cultural barriers that disproportionately affect girls.

Key Features

Access Improvement: Strategies to increase girls' enrollment in northern states and other underserved areas Safe Learning Environments: Provisions for separate sanitation facilities, protection from harassment, and gender-sensitive school policies Teacher Training: Gender-responsive pedagogy training for teachers to reduce bias in classrooms Curriculum Review: Elimination of gender stereotypes from textbooks and learning materials Community Engagement: Advocacy programmes targeting parents and traditional leaders to support girls' education

Current Status

Rollout Stage: Active across states with varying levels of adoption Coverage: All states, with priority focus on states with the widest gender gaps Lead Agency: Federal Ministry of Education Partners: UNICEF, UNESCO, Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC)

How to Access

The policy is available through the Federal Ministry of Education and the Universal Basic Education Commission. Contact the Gender Unit of the Federal Ministry of Education Access through State Universal Basic Education Boards (SUBEBs) Available through UNICEF Nigeria education programme publications

Official Resources

Website: education.gov.ng Contact: Federal Ministry of Education, Gender Unit, Abuja

Legal Framework

Operates under the Universal Basic Education Act 2004, the National Policy on Education, the Child Rights Act 2003, the National Gender Policy 2006, and CEDAW. Draws on UNESCO Education for All guidelines, the Beijing Platform for Action, and the SDG 4 and 5 targets on quality education and gender equality.