African Centre CSEA, Others Seek Innovative Financing, Collaboration To Tackle Education Crisis In Conflict Zones | Sahara Reporters
The organisations made the call during a high-level dissemination event focused on advancing evidence-based education solutions for children living in fragile, conflict and violence-affected (FCV) communities.
The Centre for the Study of the Economies of Africa (CSEA), in partnership with Associates for Change (AFC), Ghana, and the Centre d’Études, de Recherches et de Formation pour le Développement Économique et Social (CERFODES), Burkina Faso, has called for stronger government ownership, innovative financing and cross-country collaboration to address the growing education crisis in emergency and conflict-affected areas across West Africa.
The organisations made the call during a high-level dissemination event focused on advancing evidence-based education solutions for children living in fragile, conflict and violence-affected (FCV) communities.
The event convened government officials, development partners, and researchers to address the escalating out-of-school children crisis through evidence-based policymaking and regional collaboration.
During the event, experts presented a scaling pathway for education innovations. Situational analyses from Borno State, Nigeria, and the Upper East Region of Ghana underscored how conflict and climate shocks had resulted in prolonged school closures and high dropout rates.
They noted that this highlighted an urgent need for locally driven financing and enhanced school preparedness.
The dissemination also featured lessons from Sierra Leone, where Accelerated Education Programmes (AEPs) had proven effective in improving learning outcomes for vulnerable children despite barriers such as poverty and inadequate infrastructure.
Dr Adedeji Adeniran, Director of Research at CSEA, further emphasised the severe economic costs of under-investment in education, calling for innovative financing mechanisms, such as blended finance, to mobilise the necessary resources for human capital development.
The event concluded with a collective call for stronger government ownership, cross-country collaboration, and sustainable investment to ensure long-term, inclusive education outcomes across the region.
This project is funded by the Global Partnership for Education Knowledge and Innovation Exchange (GPE-KIX) and aims to improve education solutions in emergency situations and areas affected by conflict in Burkina Faso, Ghana, and Nigeria, working together with the Centre for the Study of the Economies of Africa (CSEA) in Nigeria, Associate for Change (AFC) in Ghana, and the Centre d’Études, de Recherches, et de Formation pour le Développement Economique et Social (CERFODES) in Burkina Faso.