Country: Nigeria
Sector: Education
A humanitarian cash-for-education initiative sought to increase school attendance among children displaced by Boko Haram conflict in Northern Nigeria. Many of these children had dropped out due to insecurity, poverty, or being forced into labor.
Our task was to establish a baseline and endline evaluation framework to understand how cash transfers influenced education outcomes
Approach:
We carried out quantitative household surveys across three states, with a sample size of 1,200 households. These were complemented by FGDs with caregivers and in-depth interviews with teachers and school heads. Indicators included enrollment rates, attendance frequency, financial stress, and coping strategies.
Results:
At baseline, only 43% of school-aged children in target households were attending school regularly. By endline, attendance had risen to 72%. Reports of early child labor dropped, and over 60% of caregivers said the cash reduced school-related stress.
Impact:
Our findings informed a revised disbursement model synchronizing transfers with school terms and supported policy advocacy that led to a pilot long-term education subsidy for internally displaced children.
