In a concerted effort to address the pressing need for education reform in Nigeria, the Bëtá Nigeria Campaign has taken strides towards inclusivity and equity in their advocacy approach.
This initiative, launched in January 2024 with funding support from the UK government brought together a diverse coalition of civil society organizations, media outlets, creatives, artists, and individuals from various vocations.
It also emphasized the importance of increased commitment and investment in education from politicians, service providers, partners, and parents,
Speaking during the final roundtable in Abuja, the Federal Lead of the Bëtá Nigeria campaign, Abdulsalam Badamasi, said, the campaign’s primary focus lies in expanding the conversation surrounding education, welcoming new voices into the dialogue.
According to him “We are expanding the conversation around the framing of education, bringing in new voices. In the process of bringing in new voices, we are calling on politicians, service providers, partners, and parents to come together to increase their level of commitment and investment in education.
“We believe that once this increased level of commitment to education is realized, many problems and issues in education can be resolved.
“We have identified about twenty-three items in the performance bond. We are focusing on about six or seven of them, including public-private sector partnerships, expanded dialogue with citizens, and engagement in research and innovation in the education sector. Beta,Nigeria is a very inclusive campaign.
“There are lots of persons with disabilities involved in this program, and they have been given voices. We are not just looking at gender; we are also looking at increasing the voices of other disadvantaged groups, such as persons with disabilities and those dealing with mental health issues.
“Our dynamic, youthful population is full of potential,” emphasised the group’s declaration developed during the roundtables, “but the crisis in our education system means millions face a bleak future. When all of Nigeria’s children are going to school, staying in school and learning more, we will build a more resilient, more secure, more prosperous country.”
The declaration further emphasised that achieving this transformation requires more and better investment in education, empowering future generations to become productive citizens.
The Bëtá Nigeria Campaign members, stressed stated that, “It’s a shared responsibility – politicians, educators, parents, and everyone who support them.”
Bëtá Nigeria’s Federal Lead, noted that, “this collaborative declaration has enabled Bëtá Nigeria to secure a unified commitment from diverse and multiple stakeholders across Nigeria, increasing the demand for better education and fostering government accountability.”
Badamasi emphasised that Bëtá Nigeria is a strong partnership forged by Nigerians, for Nigerians, and plays a critical role in amplifying the voices of civil society and media in achieving more and better investment in education.
Also speaking in an interview on sidelines, Former Special Adviser to the President Muhammadu Buhari on Social Investment Programme, Maryam Uwes, said
“Advocacy is important because many issues regarding education relate to behavioral change.
“People need to change their approach towards convincing parents, communities, religious or faith-based leaders into engaging with the value of formal education. So, I think this is a very good effort. Nothing is too much to get all our children back into school.
“The fact that we have people from various sectors in our economy, private sectors, civil society, development partners, and of course, that we need in this sector, but this is primarily about advocacy and every other could. I think the approach to engage with these issues is critical.
“For instance, when we give the impression that Islamic education is not education, it is going to alienate the people who want to bring their children into education. So, we need to find the words, the sensitivities, the culture.
“We need to bring it into our own advocacy and campaign to engage with them and make them understand that it is just a different kind of education that is critical for the children to grow and thrive in today’s world. Today’s context is such that we must hand the numeracy and the alphabets.
On her part, Disability Rights Advocate, Ability Plus Initiative, Janet Talbat, used the opportunity to call on the organisers to convey her demand of including sign language in the nation’s basic education curriculum to the Minister of education to enable the deaf and those who can speak to communicate with ease.
“As a deaf person I went to a primary school without sign language Teachers and today I have children who are going to school (without sign language Teachers); we cannot communicate effectively because they are not being taught sign language. Please when you meet the Minister tell to include sign language in our educational curriculum.”
Executive Director of the Cedarseed Foundation, Lois Auta, commended Bëtá Nigeria’s deliberate effort to include people with disabilities, highlighting the movement’s commitment to extend its reach beyond traditional advocacy spaces.
