What’s being done to keep learning going in northern Nigeria?
The power of schooling and the forces seeking to prevent it.
On Thursday, September 10 at 19:30 GMT:
In observance of the first-ever “International Day to Protect Education from Attack” on September 9, The Stream is partnering with Witness to discuss a new documentary on the subject.
Ahmad the Architect follows Ahmad Buba, a man on a mission to help his native Nigeria undo the harm caused by Boko Haram, an armed group that does not believe in Western education. For more than a decade, it has bombed schools, killed teachers and kidnapped students. The film focuses on Ahmad’s efforts to build 24 boarding schools for orphans of the violence and 14 mosques.
According to UNICEF, the school attendance rate in northern Nigeria is roughly 53 percent. While Boko Haram is largely to blame for the lack of education opportunities, various other factors play into the abandonment of learning – including the undervaluing of girls’ education, joblessness and drug use.
In this episode of The Stream, we discuss the efforts to fix Nigeria’s debilitated education system and attempts to revive schools.
On this episode of The Stream, we are joined by:
Rosie Collyer, @rosiereporter
Filmmaker, Ahmad the Architect
ohlalamedia.org
Bulama Bukarti,@bulamabukarti
Analyst, Tony Blair Institute
bulamabukarti.com
Bukky Shonibare, @BukkyShonibare
Executive Director, Invictus Africa
invictus.ng
Read more:
Ahmad the Architect: Rebuilding Schools in Northeast Nigeria – Al Jazeera
Nigeria’s ‘mega schools’ for Boko Haram victims – Al Jazeera