Girls in Nigeria face disproportionate obstacles in accessing education, including violence, pregnancy, and child marriage, World Bank has said in a new report.
The World Bank said investing in girls’ education can bring benefits to human capital development and improve economic prosperity.
Attacks on schools, mass abductions of students, and violence have intensified over the last few years, making it less likely for girls to go to school. It is estimated that at least one million children could miss education this year.
COVID-19 may have made issues worse. School closures have kept up to 45 million Nigerian students out-of-school at the peak of the pandemic. During lockdowns, girls were less likely to benefit from distance learning due to the lack of access to technology and more caregiving responsibilities.
Available research points to the unintended consequences of lockdowns, such as a spike in gender-based violence, a rise in teenage pregnancy, and a drop in girls’ school attendance.
The dropout rate just after schools reopening increased with children’s age and this was more pronounced for girls than boys – suggesting that schoolgirls in secondary school were more affected. Also, the COVID-19 lockdown measures might have exacerbated practices such as child marriage.
“Continuous and sustained investments towards improving access and quality of education will ensure that girls across Nigeria do not have to go through traumatic experiences, but are able to complete secondary education, grow up as healthy and productive adults, and fulfill their human potential,” the bank said in the article authored by education specialist, Aisha Garba, and senior external affairs office at the bank, Mansir Nasir.
In a nutshell, while girls were at increased risk of dropping out of school, and experience violence, pregnancy, and child marriage, the fallout from the pandemic and attacks on schools will likely deepen the significant gender divide in access to and completion of education.
Available evidence shows women’s lower education attainment is highly corelated with increased fertility rates.
The bank believes that improving education for women can help Nigeria realize the demographic dividend potential and bring economic prosperity.
The consequences for Nigeria’s development are enormous as each additional year of education can increase future income by at least 10% and decrease the chances of maternal death by 20% and fertility rates by 0.26 births.
Beyond government commitment to girls’ education by enacting policies such as the Universal Basic Education Act, World Bank said doing more is required to ensure a better environment where girls can easily access and complete secondary school education.
