Getting more girls into classrooms is only part of the education challenge. Keeping them there, ensuring they learn, and giving them a meaningful voice in decisions about their future requires tackling the barriers that often begin far beyond the school gate.
That is the message from the Mentoring Assistance for Youth and Entrepreneurs Initiative (MAYEIN), which is calling on the Oyo State Government to intensify efforts against poverty, insecurity, child marriage, period poverty and inadequate water, sanitation and hygiene facilities that continue to affect girls’ access to education.
Speaking on the outcomes of MAYEIN’s Girls in Education Dialogues project, Executive Director Ewa Oluwa Orowale said education interventions must move beyond simply increasing enrolment figures.
For girls in underserved communities, the journey to school can itself be a challenge. Long distances, transportation costs and household poverty can keep students away, while expenses for uniforms, books, shoes and other learning materials add another burden to struggling families.
Some girls are also pushed into hawking and other economic activities to support their families. Others leave school because of child marriage, teenage pregnancy or gender-based violence.
Period poverty presents another obstacle. A lack of sanitary materials, clean toilets and reliable water supplies can cause girls to miss school repeatedly, creating academic gaps that become increasingly difficult to overcome.
MAYEIN is therefore urging authorities to look beyond constructing school facilities and ensure that toilets are maintained, water is available and facilities are accessible to children living with disabilities.
The organisation is also calling for stronger safeguarding systems in schools, including confidential reporting channels, trained safeguarding officers and clear procedures for responding to bullying, sexual harassment, gender-based violence and other forms of abuse.
According to Orowale, safeguarding should become part of everyday school culture rather than remain confined to policy documents. Teachers and other personnel working with children should receive appropriate training, while recruitment processes should include relevant background checks.
MAYEIN’s Girls in Education Dialogues began in 2022 with 100 girls across 10 schools in Oyo State and reached 300 girls and 50 boys between 2022 and 2025. With support from the AU-EU Youth Action Lab, the initiative has also engaged education stakeholders and produced a documentary featuring schoolgirls discussing their experiences.
The organisation has further trained teachers and guidance counsellors in social and emotional learning, improved teaching approaches and psychosocial support.
Its work has also produced signs of change. Orowale noted that girls’ participation in sports increased across the participating schools, with nine of the 10 schools having girls involved in sports in 2025.
MAYEIN now wants the conversation to move from advocacy to implementation and accountability.
Orowale said education success should not be measured only by enrolment or how much money is spent, but by whether children are learning, remaining in school, completing their education and studying in safe and supportive environments.
She also called for second-chance education and flexible learning pathways for girls who have dropped out because of poverty, early marriage, teenage pregnancy or displacement.
Digital inclusion is another area requiring attention. MAYEIN argues that young people in underserved communities need access to computers, electricity and reliable internet before being expected to acquire advanced digital skills.
Through its Oyo Literacy Programme, the organisation provides basic digital literacy training while introducing students and young people to artificial intelligence. It is also advocating for offline digital learning resources that can serve communities with limited connectivity.
Looking ahead, MAYEIN plans to expand its SMART Libraries programme, which provides small, mobile and internet-enabled learning spaces in underserved communities. The organisation currently operates four library and community centres in Ibadan and is targeting at least 10 additional SMART Libraries across Nigeria in 2027.
For Orowale, the bigger objective is participation. Girls should not simply be counted as beneficiaries of education programmes; they should have a voice in shaping the policies, environments and opportunities that affect their lives.
The challenge, therefore, is no longer simply getting girls through the school gates. It is creating an education system where they can stay, learn, feel safe, participate and ultimately have a seat at the table.
