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About Us

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Our Mission

Education plus is an educational charity dedicated to improve schooling and educational opportunities for children, youth and young adults living in Internally Displaced Person (IDP) communities in Abuja, Nigeria. We empower youth affected by displacement through quality education, psychosocial support, and skills development. We believe education is a fundamental human right that every child deserves, regardless of their circumstances.


The Challenge
Conflict and Displacement

Over the past two decades, 2.7 million people (including 1.4 million children) have fled their homes due to Boko Haram violence in Nigeria. Founded in 2002, Boko Haram promotes an extremist version of Islam that forbids participation in Western-associated activities, including secular education.

The group has carried out devastating attacks across northern and central Nigeria, targeting churches, public spaces, government facilities, and entire communities. At its peak in the mid-2010s, Boko Haram was considered the world's deadliest terrorist organization. With thousands of fighters and substantial weaponry, their insurgency continues to displace families and traumatize communities.

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Impact on Education
While most affected people remain in northeastern Nigeria, many have relocated to Abuja, where IDP camps receive limited and irregular support. These displaced youth have suffered severe trauma and have restricted access to quality education, hampering their future prospects.

Education Crisis in Numbers
Nigeria’s educational challenges extend far beyond IDP camps. The country faces systemic underdevelopment in access, quality, and outcomes.

Educational Attainment
• Only 16.8% of Nigerian youth have attained post-secondary education (National Youth Survey)

Access to Quality Learning
• 62.9% of Nigerians live in multidimensional poverty, impacting their ability to afford or access quality schooling (World Bank)
• Only 5% of African youth access tertiary education compared to a global average of 25% (Global Partnership for Education)
• In Sub-Saharan Africa, only 6% of children enroll in tertiary education, versus 80% in OECD countries (Brookings Institution)
• African universities can admit only 33% of students who sit for entry exams (World Bank & AskWonder)

Skills Gap and Unemployability
1. Research by Pitan and Adedeji (2012) highlights a critical mismatch between education and market needs:
“Many Nigerian graduates lack employable skills in IT, communication, and leadership.”
2. Over 33.3% of Nigerian youth are unemployed
3. For young women, the situation is more severe:
o Unemployment rate: 35.2%
o Underemployment: 25%
(National Bureau of Statistics)
Who we are

Vision & Mission

Mission

• Provide educational opportunities for out-of-school youth
• Improve secondary education quality in IDP settlements
• Ensure IDP youths achieve their full life potential

Vision

• Education is a human right every child deserves
• Contribute to a society where every child has access to quality education
• Prepare children for future success regardless of background

Values

• Integrity
• Empathy
• Empowerment
• Compassion


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Demographic Pressure and Security Risks

• Nigeria is projected to become the world’s third most populous country by 2050 (UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs)
• Youth unemployment/underemployment stands at 52.65% (Vanguard, 2017)
• 24.4 million Nigerians are homeless—including school-aged youth


Cost Barriers

Amid rising inflation and shrinking disposable incomes, education becomes a luxury many families cannot afford. For most low-income households, survival needs outweigh schooling expenses, leading to:

• Early dropouts
• Reduced literacy rates
• Intergenerational cycles of poverty

Why It Matters

At Education Plus, we believe that education is a human right, not a privilege. Every child—regardless of displacement or socioeconomic status—deserves the opportunity to learn, grow, and lead a dignified life.

We exist to bridge the gap between opportunity and need, working to equip displaced youth with the knowledge, skills, and support required to break the cycle of trauma and poverty.

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Boko Haram

The History

Founded in 2002, Boko Haram promotes a version of Islam which makes it "haram", or forbidden, for Muslims to take part in any political or social activity associated with Western society, including voting in elections, wearing shirts and trousers or receiving a secular education. Boko Haram regards the Nigerian state as being run by non-believers, regardless of whether the president is Muslim or not.
​The group is responsible for audacious attacks in northern and central Nigeria, including bombing churches, bus ranks, bars, military barracks and even the police and UN headquarters in the capital, Abuja. And for mass attacks on villages and towns, where it loots, kills, abducts women and children and conscripts men and boys into their army.
When Boko Haram's insurgency was at its peak in the mid-2010s, it was the world's deadliest terrorist group, in terms of the number of people it killed.​ Boko Haram has a force of thousands of men - CIA officials have estimated around 9,000 - and cells that specialise in bombings. Through its raids on military bases and banks, it has gained control of vast amounts of weaponry and money. So, the chances of it being routed anytime soon are slim, given the region's chronic poverty and poor education system help it gain new recruits every day.

* For more on Boko Haram click here
* For more on Islamic State of West Africa click here

IDP Camps In Abuja

While most of the people affected by the violence have remained in the north eastern part of Nigeria (Mainly Borno and Adamawa States) a considerable number have over the past years relocated to Abuja. Most of the government and NGO resources to address the immense suffering have been directed to work going on in north eastern Nigeria. As such, the IDP camps in Abuja receive limited and irregular support from NGOs/CBOs/faith groups and private individuals.
Over the past two decades 2.7 million people, of which 1.4 million were children, have had to flee their homes due to the horrific violence that the terrorist group boko haram has inflicted on them. These young people have suffered severe trauma and have limited access to a quality education.
Education is a human right every child regardless of circumstance deserves to have. Supporting these young people is a recognition of a child’s immense capability and their right to a better future.

Our mission as a non-governmental organisation (NGO) is to improve the availability and quality of primary education in IDP communities in Abuja and ensure that these internally displaced persons (IDPs) youths not only enter primary and secondary school but also reach their full potential.



DID YOU KNOW?

"Since COVID19 pandemic it has become harder for smaller NGOs like Education Plus to get grants from government agencies and donor agencies. What we need to do is build up a community of interested individuals and corporate organisations.

Would you be willing to start a journey with us in improving the lives of thousands of children, adolescents and adults living in Abuja based IDP camps/settlements and low income communities?"