Nigeria’s education system has not kept pace with the rapid population growth and growing school-age population.  The quality of basic education in Nigeria is extremely poor, leading to low demand and unacceptably low academic performance. There are 30 million primary school-aged children in the country, of whom an estimated 10 million are not enrolled in school. Of those students currently in primary school, less than one third will attend junior secondary school and even fewer will proceed to senior secondary school. Nigeria has a massive number of out-of-school children and youth with limited literacy and numeracy skills who have little hope of ever joining the formal workforce. While education indicators are poor nationwide, the greatest need for assistance is in the predominantly Muslim north.

USAID programs support equitable access to quality basic education through teacher training; support for girls’ learning; community involvement, and reading and literacy skills development. The programs target public schools, as well as integrated Islamiyyah and Quranic schools, which provide both secular and religious education.