Nigerias Second-Chance Schools Offer Women a Path to Education and Survival

Women in Northern Nigeria Re-Enroll in School After Years Out

In Sokoto State, northwest Nigeria, 28-year-old Habiba Abubakar has recently returned to the Women Centre for Continuing Education (WCCE) after a 13-year absence. The centre, established in 1997, provides adult education and vocational skills to women in the state.

Abubakar’s decision to re-enroll was motivated by her desire to learn English and overcome feelings of shame related to not completing her studies earlier. She now assists all four of her children with their homework assignments.

According to UNICEF, more than half of girls in northern Nigeria are not attending school due to cultural practices such as early marriage or poverty. Jennifer Agbaji, executive director at Basileia Vulnerable Persons Rights Initiative, views the WCCE initiative as a positive step towards advancing women’s rights through education and leadership development.

The centre offers a unique three-year curriculum for its primary section, with students sitting for mandatory examinations in their final years. The programme also provides free education, benefiting from the state government’s efforts to reduce out-of-school children.

However, despite the benefits of the programme, students still face costs associated with transportation, books, and daily expenses. Agbaji notes that structural barriers, including restrictive gender norms and poverty, can make re-entry into education difficult for women.

The WCCE initiative has trained many students, some of whom now practice professions such as teaching and nursing. The centre’s founder, Navy Captain Abdul Rasheed Adisa Raji, commissioned the programme to provide adult education and vocational skills to women in the state.

Source: Al Jazeera