A groundbreaking partnership between Education Above All (EAA) Foundation, Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) and Islamic Solidarity Fund for Development (ISFD), the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), and Save the Children among others, aims to benefit 100,000 out-of-school children in Kaduna State, Nigeria. The Reaching Out-of-School Children in Kaduna State project (ROOSC) will tackle barriers to education such as lack of funding, poor infrastructure, and insufficient access. The project is a testament to the partners’ commitment to investing in education to increase enrollment rates and reduce poverty in the region.
Nigeria faces obstacles like economic challenges, instability, insecurity, and inequality, resulting in a large number of Out-of-School Children (OOSC). Kaduna State, in particular, has an estimated 535,353 OOSC, making it one of the states with the highest number of out-of-school children in the country. The ROOSC project aims to address these challenges through a multi-tiered approach focused on improving access and retention, quality of teaching, learning environments, and education management.
The partnership, supported by the Qatar Fund for Development, will span four years and consist of five components delivering interventions such as community mobilization, teacher training, quality assurance, flexible learning opportunities, psychosocial support, child protection, and provision of teaching materials. By working collaboratively, the partners aim to provide children with the tools and knowledge they need to reach their full potential and contribute to the development of their communities.
Fahad Al Sulaiti, CEO at Education Above All Foundation, emphasized the importance of strong partnerships in delivering relevant and effective interventions for educational transformation in Nigeria. Dr. Hiba Ahmed, the ISFD Director General, highlighted ISFD’s mission of empowering and developing communities through quality education. Inger Ashing, CEO of Save the Children, expressed pride in working with partners to ensure children’s right to a safe, inclusive, and quality education even in challenging circumstances.
The ROOSC project in Kaduna State is a result of a framework agreement between EAA and IsDB/ISFD to establish the ISFD/EAA Enrol and Retain OOSC Programme, which invests in the identification, enrollment, and retention of out-of-school children. The agreement was extended until 2025 at the IsDB Annual Meetings in Riyadh to ensure a greater impact for OOSC. The partnership demonstrates a shared commitment to providing education as a pathway to a brighter future for children in Nigeria.
