The Clement Isong Foundation (CIF) has called on the government of Akwa Ibom State to urgently develop a comprehensive Education Sector Plan (ESP) for the state.
CIF said the Education Sector Plan should highlight the critical need for a gender-responsive approach to educational planning and management.
The organisation made the call in a press release signed by the Executive Director of the Foundation, Elkanah Oluyori following the recent 5-day Capacity Building Workshop on “Gender Responsive Educational Planning and Gender Equality” held from November 11-15, 2024, at the Royal Institute for Training and Human Capital Development in Suleja, Niger State.
Organized by the Federal Ministry of Education in collaboration with UNESCO, UNICEF, and the Gender at the Centre Initiative, the workshop revealed systemic challenges facing educational planning across Nigerian states.
The national workshop identified key challenges that directly resonate with Akwa Ibom State’s educational landscape. These include inadequate capacity building for Gender Desk Officers, the non-existence or incompleteness of Education Sector Plans, limited integration of gender activities in existing educational strategies, and insufficient intervention from international development partners.
Drawing from the workshop’s resolutions, the Clement Isong Foundation said there is an urgent need for Akwa Ibom State to develop a comprehensive Education Sector Plan.
The foundation recommends integrating comprehensive gender education into school curricula, mainstreaming gender equality in educational planning, and domesticating the National Policy on Gender.
“The absence of an Education Sector Plan is more than an administrative gap, it’s a systemic barrier to sustainable educational development,” said the press release. It added “A gender-responsive ESP is crucial for creating an inclusive educational ecosystem that values diversity, promotes equity, and empowers individuals to reach their full potential.”
The foundation highlighted that gender equality in education is not merely a policy objective but a fundamental human right essential for creating prosperous and sustainable societies.
The release added “An effective Education Sector Plan should mainstream gender equality in all planning and decision-making processes, collect and analyze comprehensive gender-related educational data, develop capacity and awareness on gender equality, prevent School-Related Gender-Based Violence (SRGBV), and facilitate collaborative networks among educational stakeholders.”
The Clement Isong Foundation pledged to provide technical support in ESP development, facilitate stakeholder consultations, conduct advocacy for education sector reforms, support capacity-building initiatives, and mobilise resources and strategic partnerships.
The Foundation called on the Akwa Ibom State Government, State Ministry of Education, educational stakeholders, and international development partners to prioritise the immediate development of a comprehensive, gender-responsive Education Sector Plan.
