Niger

The government of Niger is focused on improving the long run performance of the education sector through launching several major reforms.

The education sector in Niger faces several challenges that negatively affect the sector’s progress. Universal primary education coverage and completion is hindered by a high population growth rate, low enrollment rate, and high dropout rate.

Access and completion is worse among vulnerable groups including girls in rural areas, children in nomadic areas, and children with disabilities. Niger’s education sector is also affected by frequent weather shocks.

The education & training sector plan for 2014-2024 reaffirms the commitment of the government to making education and training a priority.

The plan outlines a series of priorities, including:

1. Improve the quality of basic education by introducing mother tongue instruction in early grades, bettering pedagogical supervision, and increasing the supply of teaching and learning materials.
2. Continue the recruitment of state-paid contract teachers and decrease reliance on civil service teachers.
3. Establish a new recruitment and redeployment strategy to relocate teachers to rural areas.
4. Develop incentive programs to increase girls’ enrollment and retention.
5. Extend pre-school coverage through community structures and constructing classrooms, especially in rural areas.
6. Implement a school construction program to adequately meet population pressures.
7. Improve the learning environment through curricula revision, decreasing the pupil/teacher ratio, and producing contextualized materials.
8. Create an environment conducive to improving the relevance of higher education to create skilled human capital through various programs involving teacher development, strengthening scientific research, and expanding higher education offers.
9. Implement a literacy and non-formal education program to reach those who have never attended school or have dropped out.

As part of its investment in civil society advocacy and social accountability efforts, GPE’s Education Out Loud fund is supporting:

• The Coalition nigérienne des Associations, Syndicats et ONG de Campagne EPT (ASO-EPT Niger) for the 2020-2023 period. This builds on previous support from the Civil Society Education Fund (CSEF).
• Girls Not Brides: The Global Partnership to End Child Marriage for the 2021-2023 period.
• Civil society partnership for advocacy for non-formal education led by Groupe de Recherche et d'Action pour le Développement (GRADE) for the 2021-2024 period.

Learn more

• Niger is part of the KIX Africa 21 hub.
• KIX research projects:
  • A New Model of Bridging Classes to Improve Learning of Out-of-School Children and Youth 
  • Data Must Speak about Positive Deviance Approaches to Learning 
  • Observatory on COVID-19 Responses in Educational Systems in Africa