Accelerated Education Provides Path to Learning for Nigeria’s Conflict-Affected Children

Nigeria has the world’s highest number of out-of-school children, with over 20 million affected by conflict and poverty. In the northeast, where insurgency has deliberately targeted education, an accelerated learning programme has shown that targeted interventions can deliver results even in fragile environments.

From 2018 to 2021, the USAID-funded Addressing Education in Northeast Nigeria (AENN) initiative helped over 200,000 children regain access to learning through Non-Formal Learning Centres. Delivered by FHI 360, the programme used a condensed curriculum in local languages, integrated trauma-informed teaching, and increased female enrolment through targeted interventions.

Key lessons for similar contexts include:

• A compressed curriculum helped students catch up quickly.
• Community engagement - local buy-in improved enrolment and retention.
• Social-emotional learning aided recovery from trauma.
• Radio and mobile learning mitigated COVID-19 disruptions.
• A scalable, cost-effective model