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Girls' Access to Quality Education in Rural Communities in North-central Nigeria: Challenges and Pathways to Change.
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Abstract
Studies have shown that more than 50 per cent of young women between the ages of 15 and 24 in many states in northern Nigeria have not experienced formal education. This is due to a complex interplay of socioeconomic, infrastructural, cultural, and religious factors, including inadequate and insufficient infrastructure, inadequate educational resources and unqualified teaching personnel. Socioeconomic barriers, include pervasive poverty, high child labor rates, prioritization of family subsistence over schooling, Cultural norms and gender disparities. Entrenched beliefs and practices such as early marriage and the brazen extremism of the Boko Haram sect that want to relegate women exclusively to the household further intensify educational exclusion, for girls in Northern Nigeria. This qualitative study explored these multifaceted obstacles through comprehensive interviews and focus group discussions involving educators, community leaders, parents, and in and out-of-school girls. Two rural communities in two states in North-Central Nigeria were used with a purposively selected sample size of 40 participants.
Thematic analysis revealed five core barriers as socioeconomic hardship and domestic labor, entrenched cultural and gender norms, inadequate educational infrastructure, insecurity and psychological fear, and weak governmental support coupled with limited technological integration. Findings underscore the intersectionality of these barriers and highlight the urgent need for localized, culturally sensitive, and economically viable strategies to support girls’ education. The study recommends comprehensive interventions including economic support for families, improved school infrastructure, community sensitization, and the incorporation of technology and female teachers to create safe, inclusive, and enabling learning environments. These insights contribute to policy development and programmatic action aimed at achieving gender equity in education within rural sub-Saharan African contexts.
PCF11 Plus: Beyond the Forum
Sub-Theme: Changing mindsets for inclusive open education
Paper ID: 7360
Subject
Country
Nigeria
Region
Africa
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Date
2025-09
Author
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Publisher
Commonwealth of Learning (COL)