Non-state Schools in Nigeria (NSN), also known a independent/private schools, or non-government schools, are educational institutions that are not directly funded or managed by the government. They are typically financed by tuition payments, as well as donations from individuals, businesses, communities, faith-based organisations, and foundations.

The National Policy on Non-State Schools in Nigeria (NPNSN) 2024 was initiated by the Federal Ministry of Education in collaboration with state governments, the Non-state Schools Association (NSA), and other stakeholders. It was developed in response to the growing role and challenges of non-state schools in Nigeria (NSNs). The Federal Government, through the Universal Basic Education (UBEC) Act of 2004, is supporting states to improve education at the basic and post-basic levels. The Universal Basic Education (UBE) initiative in Nigeria is designed to enhance education accessibility and quality, essential for national development.

Nigeria faces a critical challenge with out-of-school children (OOSC), with 2023 estimates indicating that 8.9 million primary school-age children and 3.9 million junior secondary school-age children are not attending school.1 While the majority of OOSC are concentrated in the northeast and northwest, numbers are rising in other regions, including the south.2 Despite long-standing recognition of […]

This School Opening (SO) study is the second report of the Human Development Evaluation Learning and Verification Service (DELVe) Technical Assistance and Research workstream on School Opening and Attendance (SOA) for the Partnership for Learning for All in Nigeria (PLANE) Portfolio programmes, FCDO Nigeria’s flagship education programme. FCDO commissioned this Phase 2 School Opening (SO2) […]