Follow-The-Money: Policy-Level Engagements for Girl Child STEM Education in Northern Nigeria

Abstract

In Nigeria in the 1950s, a person with a liberal arts education was considered a truly educated person. The liberal arts education was for personal development and deployment in the administrative services and teaching but had little commercial scientific application. Admittedly, this era of generalists is dying, giving way for a new paradigm. The new paradigm is the knowledge economy. Now, to be an effective player in the knowledge economy, an individual needs specialised knowledge and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education is the building block. In Northern Nigeria, there is a problem - STEM is still generally seen as courses for the men while the women are encouraged by their parents to pursue careers in the liberal arts when they did not drop out. The resultant effect is a reinforcement of gender inequality and economic disparities which negates the spirit of Sustainable Development Goals. Disturbed by the trend, Connected Development with support from development partners, is using her innovative Follow-The-Money project to pilot grassroots-based advocacy aimed against STEM-inclined stereotypes and out-of-school syndrome - which disproportionately affects the girl child. The campaign methodology involves surveying and profiling dilapidated schools in rural communities and peri-urban areas in Northern Nigeria and conveying findings to political authorities and policymakers for intervention. While political accountability must be extracted from authorities, we engage social/informal institutions to build up interest for girl child education. Follow The Money is challenging stereotypes, social norms and cultural practices impeding the uptake of STEM education and also strengthening informal structures to demand political accountability. Through high-level engagements, results show unprecedented reconstruction and rehabilitation of dilapidated schools and enrolments are soaring. Undoubtedly, the proportion of girls taking up interests in STEM has improved remarkably. Follow-The-Money is now scaling-up across the 36 states in Nigeria.