Education scheme targets Nigeria's girls

A teacher training scheme in Nigeria is empowering women and girls living in rural parts of the country through education.

The Girls Education Project (GEP) which is funded by UKaid through the Department for International Development (DFID), gives scholarships to women to become teachers and educate girls in their communities.

There are 7 million children in Nigeria who do not go to school, the majority of whom are girls. There are also very few qualified female teachers in rural primary schools, due to prevailing social attitudes and lack of finances.

The GEP aims to increase the proportion of qualified female teachers who can act as role models and local mentors to poor rural girls. This is helping schools to become more girl-child friendly, encouraging girl participation, allaying parental concerns and improving the quality of learning.

The scheme has already helped to increase girls’ enrolment by 15 percent through advocacy, community mobilisation and providing educational materials and infrastructure to selected schools.

Click here for a photo gallery of the GEP project