Baseline Study Akelius Project

About Plan International

Plan International is a global development and humanitarian organisation dedicated to advancing children’s rights and achieving equality for girls. With over 80 years of experience, we work alongside children, young people, communities, and partners to address the root causes of inequality and challenges facing vulnerable children. We operate in over 75 countries, combining service delivery with evidence-based advocacy to drive change at local, national, and global levels. Plan International Nigeria, established in 2014, focuses on empowering girls and young women through gender-transformative programs and strategic interventions. Our Country Strategy (FY2024-2028), titled "All Girls Standing Strong Creating Global Change," aims to ensure 20 million girls in Nigeria can learn, lead, decide, and thrive. We prioritise inclusive and quality education, youth employment and entrepreneurship, sexual and reproductive health and rights, nutrition, early childhood development, and protection from violence. Context and Background Nigeria faces a profound education crisis. According to UNICEF, the number of out-of-school children in Nigeria has reached 18.95 million, the highest figure globally. Entrenched poverty, armed conflict (especially in northern Nigeria), insecurity, and deeply rooted socio-cultural barriers, including early marriage, child labour, and gender discrimination, have left millions of school-aged children, particularly girls and children with disabilities, excluded from the formal education system. Northern Nigeria is disproportionately affected: UNICEF has noted that states such as Kano, Sokoto, and Jigawa together account for approximately 16% of Nigeria's out-of-school children. This educational exclusion carries severe consequences: low literacy and numeracy skills, diminished livelihood opportunities, and a perpetuating cycle of poverty and inequality. In response, the Accelerated Basic Education Programme (ABEP) was introduced as a nationally approved accelerated learning curriculum developed by the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) and endorsed by the National Council on Education in 2019. ABEP compresses the standard basic education curriculum into three levels covering five core subjects, equipping over-age and out-of-school learners (approximately ages 10–18) with foundational literacy, numeracy, life skills, and civic education competencies needed to re-engage with formal schooling or vocational training. Through a condensed, accelerated learning curriculum, ABEP enables learners to complete primary-level education in a shorter timeframe and supports their transition into formal schooling or vocational training pathways. The European Union-funded project "Accelerating Basic Education and Livelihood Opportunities for Children and Youth in North Western Nigeria" is implemented under a consortium led by Plan International, Save the Children International (SCI), and other National Organizations. The project operates in Jigawa, Kano, and Sokoto States and targets approximately 324,000 out-of-school children and youth, 194,400 females and 129,600 males, including an estimated 32,400 persons with disabilities (PwDs), who have either dropped out or never enrolled in formal school. Within the ABEP project, Plan International Nigeria is piloting the Akelius Digital Language Learning Platform to augment ABEP’s English literacy sessions in select centres in Kano State. The Akelius platform is a digital tool for language learning, offering interactive, gamified, offline-enabled English literacy content for children and supporting facilitators in blended learning approaches. The Akelius project is a 12-month pilot and will be implemented in 12 ABEP learning centres in Kumbotso, Gwale, and Nassarawa LGAs of Kano, reaching around 2,400 out-of-school learners (10–18 years old) facilitated by 24 trained ABEP facilitators. The ABEP curriculum delivery remains unchanged; the Akelius platform is integrated as a supplemental tool during regular literacy classes to reinforce English language skills, not to replace existing pedagogy. Through structured teaching methods combined with digital interactive content, the pilot aims to enhance learners’ English literacy outcomes while maintaining fidelity to the ABEP model. This innovative approach aligns with national priorities on digital education and is expected to generate insights on how technology can support accelerated learning for marginalised children, including girls and children with disabilities. To begin the implementation of Akelius across the selected centres, there is a critical need to generate robust and credible evidence around the practicality, contextuality and acceptability of the system. Also, the study is essential to establish a clear and objective reference point against which changes in learner outcomes and program performance can be measured over time. Project Specific Objectives Evaluate how the Akelius platform fits within the ABEP programme by looking at curriculum alignment, learner language levels, ease of use, and cultural relevance.

Specific Objectives:

- Establish baseline benchmarks on learners’ English literacy skills in the Akelius pilot LGAs. - Assess the availability, accessibility, and use of learning resources that support English literacy acquisition among ABEP learners. - Examine facilitator capacity, preparedness, and digital competency for effective delivery of the Akelius model. - Assess the digital readiness of learning centres, including infrastructure, device availability, functionality, and other enabling conditions for digital learning. - Analyse key contextual, socio-educational, gender, disability, and inclusion-related factors influencing learner participation and learning outcomes. - Identify implementation enablers, gaps, risks, and barriers that may affect the effectiveness of the Akelius pilot. - Generate practical and evidence-based r