Nigeria faces a critical educational challenge with over 10 million out-of-school children, 35% of whom have disabilities, resulting in 90% of children with disabilities being denied an education, despite existing legislation. While policies like the Universal Basic Education Act 2004 and National Inclusive Education Policy exist, integrated and special education models prevail. Inclusive education implementation across diverse regions remains complex. Moreover, technical and vocational education and training (TVET) opportunities for disabled adolescents are underdeveloped. Disability-focused TVET centers lack regulation, accreditation, and market-aligned curricula. Regulatory bodies have not adapted TVET curricula for accessibility. Addressing these gaps aligns with SDG 4 and UNCRPD article 24 on inclusive education, while bolstering economic empowerment and contributing to SDG 8 on decent employment opportunities.
Our Objectives
Objective 1: Generating qualitative and quantitative evidence on enablers and disincentives to the enrolment of children with disabilities in basic education
Objective 2: All people with disabilities can easily access, participate and acquire quality and affordable technical vocational education that positioned them relevant in the labour market.
Objective 3: All children and adolescents with disabilities alongside their teachers are supported to acquire science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) at school such that guarantee them opportunity to study professional courses of their choice at tertiary institution.
The Tactics
We aim to enhance education data quality for children with disabilities through collaboration with education stakeholders. We focus on generating qualitative and quantitative evidence to bridge gaps and shape inclusive education policies in Nigeria. We plan to develop technical expertise in inclusive STEM education, especially for visually impaired, deafblind, and children with intellectual disabilities. Our efforts align with economic empowerment goals, enhancing learning for adolescents with disabilities through assistive devices. We are giving special attention to educating disabled girls and connecting with long-term women’s empowerment initiatives. Furthermore, we strive to improve accessibility and inclusivity in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) centers, influencing regulatory criteria and curriculum adoption.
