Nigeria is the first country in the Global South to have undergone independent evaluations of SDG3-Health and SDG4-Education. With these evaluations, both the Government of Nigeria and the development partners join forces to reshape evidence-based policies, strategies and investments that will help Nigeria accelerate its progress towards achieving these SDGs. The independent SDG4-Education Evaluation is a systematic and rigorous policy analysis of the effectiveness, impact and underlying driving factors influencing the Education Sector Strategic Plan 2016–2019’s progress towards SDG4 in Nigeria. The findings of this strategic evaluation furnish further evidence for improving the rights of children to education in Nigeria and how the Government of Nigeria, along with development partners and civil society, can best address systemic gaps and challenges, including the negative effects of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, to progress on our shared commitment to the 2030 sustainable development agenda. This report documents the evidence of how Nigeria is progressing in its implementation of its National Strategic Education Plan, a roadmap for bringing learning skills to all Nigerian children. The report includes findings, conclusions, and key recommendations for the
Government of Nigeria to consider to strengthen policy and improve education financing and learning systems to meet the ambitious goals and targets of the SDG4. We are positive that the recommendations from the evaluation will enable the Government of Nigeria to make further progress on achieving SDG4 targets by 2030. We would like to recognize the leadership role played by OSSAP-SDGs, the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning, and the Federal Ministry of Education, and we are grateful for the technical and financial support provided by UNICEF Nigeria Country Office. We thank UNICEF’s Evaluation Manager and Education Section for shepherding this strategic evaluation in close collaboration with OSSAP-SDGs and we appreciate all key players from the academia, civil society and development partners (UNDP, UNESCO, UN RCO, FCDO, USAID, the World Bank) that contributed to the assessment. On behalf of the Government of Nigeria and UNICEF Nigeria Country Office, we take this opportunity to reiterate our commitment to continue working together to achieve the ambitious targets of the 2030 Agenda, including SDG4, which is to improve universal access to inclusive quality basic education in Nigeria.
This SDG4 Evaluation Report on Nigeria was developed by the Evaluation Team of the Consortium Alegre Associates (the contractor) and EdIntersect (subcontractor) based in the USA, which includes Dr Mary Faith MountCors, President of EdIntersect; Dr Karla Giuliano Sarr, International Team Lead Consultant; Dr Adeboye Adeyemo, Co-Principal Investigator; Ms Alice Michelazzi, Education Advisor; and Dr Michel Rousseau, Expert Statistician. We are very grateful to the SDG4 Evaluation Team for this comprehensive SDG4 Evaluation Final Report. We express our gratitude to the country-led coordination role played by the Technical Working Group of SDGs Evaluation in Nigeria established by OSSAP-SDGs at the Presidency. This comprises Dr Zakari Lawal, Director of Monitoring & Evaluation at the FMFBNP; Dr Robert Ndamobissi, Evaluation Manager at UNICEF; Engr Ahmad Kawu, Secretary of Programmes, Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (OSSAP-SDGs); Dr. Bala YusufYunusa, Technical Advisor to the SSAP, OSSAP-SDGs; Dr Ify Ukaegbu, Education Specialist, OSSAP-SDGs; Rose Keffas, Special Assistant MDAs at OSSAP-SDGs; Dr Simon B. Harry, The Statistician General of the Federation; Mrs. Anne Ibrahim, SDGs Desk Officer, National Bureau of Statistics (NBS); Dr Uzodinma Adirijee, Evaluation Consultant and National President Nigerian Association of Evaluators; Dr. Yahaya Umar, Program Officer/Technical
