Micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in Africa have been particularly vulnerable to the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, with demand for their products and services declining since the outbreak in late 2019. A recent African Union report that surveyed African SMEs about COVID-19’s impact on their businesses reported that the pandemic had heavily impacted 93% of businesses, while 95% of them did not receive any form of government support to cushion the impacts of the economic downturn. In a survey of MSMEs in Nigeria by the Centre for the Study of the Economies of Africa (CSEA), 69% of respondents said the pandemic had significantly affected their access to finance, capital and financial liquidity. Total direct output loss accruing to Nigerian MSMEs in the year 2020 was estimated at about NGN5.8 trillion (U$D 14.85 billion).

At the same time, the COVID-19 crisis has accelerated the adoption of digital technologies across the world. The lockdown restrictions created a rare opportunity for many MSMEs and households to engage with digital technologies, allowing businesses to stay operational and access new markets. Unfortunately, given the enormous digital divide in terms of skills and infrastructure, the benefits of this digitalisation have been unevenly distributed.

Digitalisation and COVID-19 recovery

MSMEs play an essential role in the overall growth of the industrial economy of Africa. They constitute about 95% of African businesses and contribute 80% of regional employment. Therefore, they are a vital industry for inclusive socio-economic development. The rapid migration to digital technologies as a result of COVID-19 has continued into the recovery phase in Africa, and augmenting MSMEs’ capacity and ability to keep pace with the new digital expectations that have emerged will be critical to driving COVID-19 recovery on the continent. However, only a few MSMEs capable of navigating and integrating into digital platforms may survive the prolonged effects of the crisis. Many firms are not capable of embracing digital initiatives, particularly in the informal sector. Differences in technological, social and networking capabilities further exacerbate the digital divide.

Digitalisation’s potential contributions to MSME survival include wider customer reach, cost reduction, and opportunities to optimise products, sales and revenue. Social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram are now being used to interface directly with customers and effectively acquire new ones. MSMEs should efficiently market their products and services for social media platforms, which have an estimated user base of over two billion users, while reducing traditional overhead costs and technically reducing the distance between MSMEs and their customers. MSMEs can also leverage digital innovations for survival by restructuring their enterprise towards remote working, migrating to e-commerce and reorganising their production lines towards goods and services with higher demand.

Beyond COVID-19, however, digitalisation provides the opportunity for MSMEs to leverage the benefits of the recently implemented African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Symbiotically, the AfCFTA delivers a channel for the region's fragmented countries to band together to seek alternative paths to development by harnessing combined strengths and resources to support digitalisation.

"There is a concern about whether the AfCFTA will ensure an equitable spread of digitalisation gains. This will depend on how it responds to competition, antitrust and cross border taxation arising from the digital economy."

Leveraging the AfCFTA

While more than 500 million Africans (39% of the total population) are connected to the internet, the spread and scope of digitalisation have not translated to economic development and structural transformation on the continent. One reason for this is the small economic size of many African countries and their fragmented nature. Individually, most African countries lack the economies of scale and investment capacity needed to drive down costs and mobilise mass adoption. This also partly explains the weak and uneven development of domestic digital platforms in Africa. Regional integration can alleviate these problems by promoting investment in aids to trade, of which digital technology is a key component. With the AfCFTA, the continent becomes a single market, thereby diminishing economic size and fragmentation issues.

Regional integration also has the potential to resolve another constraint to widespread digitalisation in Africa: citizens’ weariness of the potential abuse of digital platforms for surveillance and restrictions on their constitutional rights. Given the role social media played in the Arab Spring, there have been many attempts by African states to shut down the internet or control access to the digital space in response to protests or dissent. In 2019, about 25 cases of partial or total internet shutdowns were documented in Africa, representing a 47% increase from 2018. Given this trend, expansion in digital footprints like digital identification systems and facial recognition has faced scepticisms and outright rejection from citizens and civil society. Regional integration can help in this regard. The uniform data governance that is likely to ensue within the free trade area will separate business cases for digitalisation from the political ones. Moreover, regional integration will make it economically costly for states to arbitrarily shut down the internet, as this will have broader continental effects.

However, for the benefits of AfCFTA to accrue inclusively, it is essential to narrow the uneven development of digitalisation in Africa. Some of the recent growth in domestic digital platforms in African has been concentrated in a few relatively rich countries like Nigeria, South Africa and Kenya. Therefore, there is a concern about whether the AfCFTA will ensure an equitable spread of digitalisation gains. This will depend on how it responds to competition, antitrust and cross border taxation arising from the digital economy.

Supporting digitalisation of MSMEs

National governments at both the federal and state level can enhance the digital capabilities of MSMEs by promoting programs that facilitate the adoption and use of digital technologies. Governments, the private sector and the civil society need to collaborate and facilitate knowledge flows that contribute to building and strengthening a systemic digital change. The first steps would be to identify the gaps that hinder digital take-up and provide context-specific solutions that bridge the identified gaps. While the priority of crucial challenges will differ by country, the following policy measures must be pursued cross-nationally:

● Digital skills training: Digital literacy skills are fundamental to achieving digitalisation. There needs to be an intentional effort to prepare current and future business owners to succeed in this changing landscape. This includes training that provides MSMEs with a holistic understanding of digitalisation and equips them to actively and fully engage in it. Particular attention should also be paid to tailoring programs to the needs of women and girls.

● Provide infrastructural support: It will be critical to promote technology-enabled interventions that facilitate access to mobile phones, tablets and computers that enable MSMEs to adopt and access digitalisation. Policymakers will need to back this up with complementary investments in physical infrastructures, such as improved electricity supply and support for software development and assembly of ICT equipment and accessories. It is also imperative to extend improved internet connectivity to rural areas and underserved population.

● Reduced cost of digitalisation: Many businesses are already faced with devastating financial consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. As MSMEs will incur expenses as they digitally transform their businesses, they should be encouraged and incentivised to start with low-cost pilots and little resources that can be scaled up. A recent survey of 45 African countries shows that only 10 countries meet the standard of affordable internet, defined as paying 2% or less than the average monthly income for 1 gigabyte (GB) of data. It is critical to align the costs of digitalisation with the ability of Africans to afford it. Such a reduction in the costs of digitalisation could come through crisis-response partnerships with telecommunications providers. For example, lower data costs could encourage MSMEs to participate in online digital literacy and migrate to e-commerce. Other African countries should embrace the success models of Kenya and Nigeria. Through the internet exchange gateway, the Kenya Internet exchange points (KIXP) grew from carrying peak traffic of 1 Gigabit per second (Gbps) in 2012 to 19 Gbps in 2020. The Internet Exchange Point of Nigeria (IXPN) grew from carrying 300 Megabits per second (Mbps) to peak traffic of 125 Gbps in 2020, bringing a cost savings of US$ 40 million per year.

● Improve Public-Private Partnerships (PPP): It is imperative to strengthen public-private partnerships, particularly in the financial and telecommunications sectors, in delivering the needed interventions. Governments and private technology firms could pull resources and technical know-how to make internet data and ICT facilities affordable, which could be a cornerstone for MSMEs to adopt and utilise digitalisation. Such public-private partnerships hold the key to the future development of MSMEs by enhancing digital literacy among MSMEs, reskilling and upskilling their potentials to compete effectively in AfCFTA. Morocco has exhibited an excellent PPP model for digital transformation through its 2020 Digital Strategy, prioritising the development of e-government services.

Digitalisation can support African MSMEs to emerge from the COVID-19 crisis stronger with an unparalleled global competitive advantage when adopted and applied efficiently through the AfCFTA. Therefore, it is time for governments and policymakers to prioritise long-overdue reforms in African business regulations, skills development schemes and public sector governance.

This article was first published on the African Portal

On January 1, 2021, the long-anticipated African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) became a reality. The benefits of creating a single African market under the AfCFTA are wide-ranging and potentially revolutionary. By reducing tariff and non-tariff barriers to intra-African trade, the initiative could boost regional exports by 29 percent and income by 7 percent between 2020 and 2035. There is also optimism that greater access to a larger market base could reduce production costs and lead to greater economies of scale for local producers and exporters.

But AfCFTA’s potential might not be fully realized without stronger digital connectivity and effective policies that (1) promote the free flow of data and information across member states to facilitate knowledge sharing and collaboration and (2) reduce trade integration costs and address existing structural barriers to intra-regional trade in Africa.

How digitalization can help to address structural barriers to trade in Africa

At the most basic level, AfCFTA is governed by five operational instruments (an online negotiating forum; a digital payment system; the monitoring and elimination of non-tariff barriers; the African Trade Observatory (ATO); and rules of origin), all of which require effective digital connectivity to be successful. More importantly, developing the continent’s digital sector is crucial for economic integration and could help address some long-standing structural trade barriers while ensuring that the gains arising from the AfCFTA are equitably shared. Examples of how strengthening the digital economy can break down these barriers include:

• Digitalization ensures optimal trade and business processes resulting in cost reduction. The use of digital technologies can reduce transaction costs such as search costs, language barriers, and coordination of logistics that are associated with traditional delivery channels. Greater adoption of digitalization in customs’ management and procedures can also improve regulatory inefficiencies to speed up transit and clearance of exports; this could reduce additional export costs like demurrage charges to suppliers. As the experience of the COVID-19 pandemic indicates, business adaption and resilience to shocks are more enhanced with access to digital platforms.
• Faster and easier information flow for improved participation in the global supply chain: Digital platforms have proven particularly useful in connecting potential buyers and sellers in multiple jurisdictions and eliminating burdensome processes in the value chain. Digitally sharing information about regulations and standards among market actors, and allowing better knowledge of consumer preferences, increases access to trade opportunities. Greater availability of market intelligence through big data analysis can make it easier for African suppliers to increase their participation in global value chains beyond just providing raw materials and inputs.
• Greater access to markets, especially for small enterprises which make up the vast majority of firms in most countries:In Nigeria, for example, 95 percent of firms fall into the category of micro and small enterprises. These businesses generally have less capacity in terms of financing options and digital skills to adapt their business operations to compete in the regional and global markets. Indeed, in Nigeria only 18 percent of micro and small enterprises are even aware of AfCFTA, compared to 67 percent of medium-scale enterprises. Digital technologies can increase the economic access of the disadvantaged groups, including those operating in the informal sector and in rural areas by removing barriers to business expansion while promoting the development of more efficient services for the continent’s rapidly growing consumer class. In addition, digitalization could promote access to fintech credit facilities, crowdfunding, and other less stringent funding and payment options for small-sized export firms to improve their capacity to expand and serve a larger customer base. E-commerce platforms also provide less costly opportunities to build and accumulate verifiable digital presence and track record which can increase such firms’ ability to attract new domestic and foreign business partners and customers.

Despite the vast potential and importance of digitalization for regional integration, digital development remains low across Africa. The problem is notable in two crucial areas: digital penetration and data governance framework. The capacity to address these challenges will determine the AfCFTA’s success. We briefly highlight the critical issues along these areas.

Digital penetration and preparedness are still very low in Africa

Access to the internet remains limited in Africa, with 47 percent of the continent’s population able to access the internet, compared to a global average of 63 percent. The quality of digital infrastructure is also poor, with slower 2G still accounting for 59 percent of the available mobile technology generation mix and 4G penetration at just 6 percent of the mix. It is therefore unsurprising that most African countries are inadequately prepared to leverage the global digital revolution.

To gauge the implication of this on the AfCFTA, which is expected to be facilitated mainly through online transactions, we measure the correlation between an index of digital preparedness among African countries, and an index measuring the commitment and readiness for AfCFTA. Figure 1 suggests a positive relationship, which implies countries with weaker starting positions on the digital preparedness index are more likely to be left behind as benefits from the AfCFTA accrue to better-prepared countries.

Figure 1. Relationship between Digital Preparedness and Readiness for AfCFTA

Disruptions caused by COVID-19 have already highlighted the importance of better digital connectivity across AfCFTA members. The AfCFTA Phase II negotiations, which were forced online due to the pandemic, were slowed by connectivity problems and concerns about the security of online discussions. Given that governments continue to experience difficulties digitally connecting with one another, small and micro firms and households undoubtedly face more severe challenges.

The absence of national and regional data governance frameworks is a problem

Supporting greater cross-border economic activities on the continent will lead to increased cross-border data sharing. It also requires greater harmonization on how AfCFTA members govern the use of data and digital systems like payments and digital identity, and greater coordination on issues such as taxation of digital platforms and industrial policies aimed at supporting digital entrepreneurs.

Since trust is a prerequisite for ensuring uninterrupted cross-border digital interactions, a clear data governance structure at the national and regional levels is needed. Such laws are required to allay fears related to protection of citizen’s constitutional rights, including the rights to privacy, data protection, and freedom of speech.

There have been some initial steps: At a regional level, the African Union (AU) initiated a Convention on Cyber Security and Personal Data Protection in 2014. However, it is still pending ratification, as only eight countries have assented. More recently, the AU, alongside other development partners, developed a digital transformation strategy for the region. The strategy’s objective is to serve as a roadmap in harnessing digital technologies to promote a fully integrated and inclusive digital society by 2030, with the hope that it improves the welfare of Africa’s population. Since the strategy is relatively new, it is premature to assess its effectiveness. Despite these regional action plans and convention, a robust and coordinated regional data governance framework to ensure seamless data interoperability is lacking.

The United Nations Congress on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) reports that a significant number of African economies have yet to enact legislation to safeguard digital transactions and data use (figure 2). And due to countries’ varying digital maturity levels, most African countries that have or are drafting data protection laws are adopting different rather than harmonized strategies, risking market fragmentation. Enforcement capacity, financial and human resources, and reliable institutions to support a well-functioning data governance environment are also lacking in most countries.

Figure 2. Number of African countries that have adopted digital protection-related legislation

Source: UNCTAD E-Commerce Legislation Index - April 2020

The way forward

To increase the competitiveness of the African digital economy and maximize the potential of the AfCFTA, governments, non-state actors, and development institutions should collaborate to ensure the speedy implementation and enforcement of data governance policies and laws that guarantee trust, transparency and increase digital inclusiveness.

Beyond ensuring security of data flows, it has become extremely critical to build the soft and hard infrastructure for a well-positioned African digital economy, through expanded access to digital technologies, wider internet adoption, improved public expenditure on information communications technology infrastructure, and a more conducive regulatory environment for private sector investments in the sector. The African Development Bank’s Programme on Infrastructure Development for Africa (PIDA) is one vehicle to achieve this. However, it will require a stronger linkage to AfCFTA for better trade facilitation and a more supportive legal framework. This could be in form of providing guidelines on minimum standards, a shared pool of resources, and a timeframe for effecting harmonized interventions especially for countries that are lagging in growing their digital economy. Further, at the country level, digitalization must become a top development priority for governments, with necessary policy reforms and budgetary allocations to accelerate digitalization and deliver on shared prosperity that the AfCFTA promises.

This article was first published at Centre for Global Development

The COVID-19 outbreak began in December 2019 in the Wuhan city of China and has continued to spread globally. As of this writing, 28.2 million cases have been recorded globally with 910,000 deaths. Aside the health impact, the pandemic has led to an unprecedented disruption in economic activities, initiating a sudden demand, supply, and financial shock. The mitigation strategies put in place by governments across the world to curb the virus as well as the uncertainty associated with the pandemic has led to a reduction in the consumption of non-essential commodities. Meanwhile, disruptions to global supply chains in a closely connected world as well as the reduced demand have necessitated a slowdown in production. Furthermore, investors have become more risk averse with the prices of risk assets falling to levels experienced in the 2007-20008 global financial crisis.   To counteract the fall in private sector demand, stabilize the financial system, and ensure economic recovery, governments and central banks across the world have deployed a range of policies and programmes. Central banks are cutting policy rates and providing direct liquidity to the financial system. Federal and sub-national governments are providing tax relief, cash transfers, and employee retention schemes to alleviate the burden on affected individuals and businesses. Africa is not left behind as governments have increased spending plans (about 1.9% of their GDP) and central banks are adopting more accommodating monetary policies.

The commitment of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to stimulate the economy following the      distortions caused by the coronavirus pandemic prompted the decision to reduce the Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) from 12.5% to 11.5% . However, the cash reserve ratio was retained at 27.5% and the liquidity ratio at 30%. 

The major goal of the CBN’s monetary policy has been to ensure price stability in order to avoid distortions and disequilibrium in the Nigerian economy and achieve improved economic activities and employment.

Prior to the reduction of the MPR to 11.5%, the CBN had consistently retained the MPR at 14% in 2018, and 13.5% between March 2019 to April 2020. Before 2018, similar patterns were observed. In those periods, as revealed in figure 1, the rate of inflation did not follow the expected pattern to changes in the MPR, even when considering time lags. Also, the correlation coefficient between the MPR and the inflation rate in Nigeria stood at 0.299 between January 2015 and January 2021, revealing a weak correlation between both variables. This suggests that inflation may not be responding to the MPR and that the CBN monetary policy may have been counterproductive.

Figure 1: Monetary Policy Rate and Inflation (M1, 2015 to M1, 2021)

Source: Central Bank of Nigeria (2021)

Figure 2 illustrates the relationship between the MPR and the inflation rate utilising the scatterplot and a regression line. It is revealed that there exists a positive association between the MPR and inflation that does not follow a priori expectations, implying that inflation increases with the MPR.

Figure 2: Scatter Plot and Regression Line of Monetary Policy Rate and Inflation (M1,2015 to M12, 2020)

Why does Inflation Rate not necessarily respond to MPR?

The major reason why the CBN’s monetary policy has not had a negative impact on Nigeria’s inflation rate over time is due to the factors that cause rising prices in the country.  Inflation in Nigeria is influenced by the aggregate supply side of the economy and not the aggregate demand side of the economy which the CBN can influence with its monetary policy tools. This is evident in the continued depreciation of the Nigerian Naira and the subsequent rise in prices. In other words, the Nigerian inflation is a cost-push inflation while monetary policies are most effective in demand pull inflation.

Figure 3: Scatter Plot and Regression Line of the logarithm of Exchange Rate and Inflation (M1,2015 to M12, 2020)

As revealed in figure 2, a scatter plot and a regression line observes this positive relationship between the natural logarithm of exchange rate and the inflation rate in Nigeria.

The Nigerian inflation problem has continued to emanate majorly from exchange rate depreciation due to crude oil price shocks. The fallen crude oil price level has led to the fall in the value of our exports compared to the value of imports. This has led to pressure on the Naira and has caused both currency depreciation and devaluation over recent times. Because Nigeria is heavily dependent on both imported consumer and producer goods, currency depreciation immediately transmits to rising prices, through the prices of imported consumer and producer goods and further multipliers in the economy.

Aggregate supply side inflation makes conventional monetary policy almost obsolete as they are engineered for demand pull inflation. Furthermore, as Nigeria battles with boosting her economy, the mandate of the Nigerian government should be to provide policies that can aid in improving the level of aggregate supply in the Nigerian economy.

Answering the question on what factors lead to the fall in aggregate supply is one way that can propel Nigeria out of a stagflation type economy—a situation where falling output level and rising unemployment is accompanied with rising prices.

Reducing the Monetary Policy Rate to boost Domestic Production

The goal of the double-digit MPR has been to stabilise prices over time. However, as previously acknowledged, the country's inflation problem is not caused by an excess of money supply in the economy. Instead, it has risen from low productivity and high cost of production in the Nigerian economy. If the CBN maintains its double-digit MPR, it will continue to transmit to high lending rates in the financial sector, making borrowing from the financial sector very expensive.

This in turn would keep productivity down and those who can still borrow for productive purposes would increase their price levels in order to make enough profit to repay their debt. This means that the double-digit MPR may be insignificant in terms of curbing inflation, or worse, it may act as a determining factor in raising Nigeria’s inflation level and even limiting the economic growth

While the CBN has taken steps to boost the Nigerian economy by reducing the MPR, further reduction in the MPR is imperative to bring significant increase in domestic production, particularly for Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMSEs). The importance of local production, economic diversification and improving the Nigeria’s  export base should be taken      into consideration by the CBN as they reduce the MPR. It is only when the local economy grows that Nigeria’s export base can grow and bring lasting solutions to Nigeria exchange rate problem.

Conclusion

Finally, given the peculiarity of the Nigerian inflationary problem – such that, inflation is propelled by cost push phenomenon and not demand-pull inflation, thus rendering the conventional monetary policies counterproductive. For the Nigerian economy to experience an increase in economic activities, it is essential that a key lever for facilitating this would be to significantly reduce the monetary policy rate to a single digit.

Moreover, lowering interest rates in the banking system, and making credit available would enable SMSEs maximise financial flow for development – thereby improving productivity, lowering commodity prices, and a reduction in unemployment. Policy makers must work to ensure economic policies are aimed at improving export base, as this would reduce the exchange rate problem which transmits to inflationary pressures.

Before the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic stalled learning for students in Nigeria, the nation’s education system was facing an epidemic of its own: a deeply inadequate and inequitable education system that taught far too little to only a few students. At the peak of the pandemic, almost 40 million students were affected by the nationwide school closures, but even prior to this, Nigeria suffered from the highest proportion of out-of-school children worldwide. And, for those that were enrolled, there is overwhelming evidence that learning levels were much lower than expected. With the current second wave of the virus, school holidays have been prolonged, suggesting a continued stall in learning for children.

In this brief, we highlight a simple and smart approach to recover the expected learning loss and revamp Nigeria’s education system, conveniently summarized in the acronym FACTS: Foundational learning, Assessment, Curriculum alignment, Technology and Special needs.

Pre-Pandemic Learning Levels

According to a 2015 National Education Data Survey (NEDS) which assessed literacy and numeracy levels, 46 percent of children enrolled in primary school could not identify words, read a single short sentence, or demonstrate basic comprehension in English or any of Nigeria’s three main native languages. In terms of numeracy, 35 percent were unable to add two single-digit numbers which summed to less than 10. In addition, there are huge variations along key demographic characteristics. According to the NEDS study, approximately 14 percent of the lowest wealth quintile showed minimum learning competencies in literacy and numeracy, compared to 82 percent and 84 percent of the highest quintile in literacy and numeracy respectively. Students in private primary schools achieved 74 percent and 84 percent literacy and numeracy competencies, while students in public schools achieved 44 percent and 56 percent, respectively.

Pandemic-Induced Learning Losses

Though schools have been allowed to reopen since September 2020, it is difficult to decipher the accrued learning loss induced by the school closures in Nigeria because there is no evidence that any assessments have been done either nationally or at state levels to determine how far behind students are. However, what we do know is that merely returning to schools and maintaining the pre-COVID status quo will not recoup the learning losses or avoid the associated lifetime and economic losses induced by the school closures. According to a  recent simulation exercise by Belafi and Kaffenberger, without any forms of remediation, a 6-month school closure, as was the case with Nigeria, will result in an average loss of 1.4 years worth of learning for the current cohort of primary school students. With some remediation, this learning loss only reduces slightly to 1 year. On the other hand, they also show that an intervention focused on long-term reorientation of the education system will lead to a learning gain of about 7 months, generating not only learning recovery but further gain.

This is further entrenched by the fact that schools across the country moved students on to the next school year upon resumption, despite students missing a full term and a half of the previous year. As evidence shows, students had different levels of access to remote learning during the school closures, signifying that students will be returning to school with differing levels of skills and knowledge.

The state of Nigeria’s pre-pandemic education, compounded by the impacts of the pandemic, calls for more than a resumption of normality. While a variety of approaches could be implemented to achieve this, it is crucial to draw on available evidence that aligns to the facts of Nigeria’s education system in designing such long-term reorientation plans. Below, we draw on the available evidence to highlight five crucial approaches required for an innovative learning system that is suited to achieving the dual goal of recovering and revamping the nation’s education system.

FACTS: Foundational learning, Assessment, Curriculum alignment, Technology and Special needs

F- Foundation learning

Foundational learning focuses on reading and comprehension (in the language of the learner’s immediate environment) and arithmetic, crucial to enabling students to learn in subsequent grades and preparing them for careers after school. Typical school schedules and curricula in Nigeria consist of foundational learning plus other school subjects. However, given the time and learning lost to COVID-19, at least the next two school calendars should place greater focus on foundational learning. Weakness in foundational learning is at the crux of Nigeria’s poor performance in education, as it serves as the gateway to knowledge acquisition in other subject areas. It is therefore essential that it be made the cornerstone of any strategy to address Nigerian education’s inadequacies in the immediate and longer term.

 A- Assessment

As schools reopen, there is a need to know how far behind students are and how fast they are recovering in all subjects. Assessments put the focus directly on learning, as it provides evidence of the skills and knowledge students have, which allows decision makers to make better evaluative judgments on how to support learning recovery and make advancement toward learning goals. A combination of frequent, low-stakes, formative assessments at the school level, and nationwide school surveys are crucial to provide feedback that inform swift, targeted, and locally-relevant responses must be prioritized. Conversely, high-stakes examinations at the end of the school term should be postponed until recovery from learning loss to prevent unjust penalties for vulnerable groups that have been disproportionately impacted.

C- Curriculum Alignment

School systems in Nigeria are mostly organized by grades, with teaching targeted at grade or age levels. However, the key to learning recovery in Nigeria is the alignment of teaching and instructional support to where students are in their learning trajectory. Teaching at  the skill-level of different learners has been shown to yield substantial learning gains, and a benefit of frequent school level assessments is that it provides the evidence that allows schools to adapt curricula to this proven approach in order to best help students recover learning losses. 

T- Technology

Advances in technology have sparked a paradigm shift in education by breaking down geographical barriers, expanding the quantity, and improving the quality of learning. However, while school closures induced by the pandemic have resulted in a surge in the development and uptake of educational technology around the world, geographic barriers have given way to digital barriers, with most schools and families unable to leverage technology for learning. Given Nigeria’s socio-economic disparities and poor infrastructure, educational technology will not work in isolation. With the onset of this second wave of the virus, it is imperative that policymakers begin to consider alternative learning options by working with research and development partners to pilot and rigorously test the effectiveness of blended learning approaches tailored to different regional contexts and aligned with different profiles of deprived learners and under-resourced learning environments. Innovative approaches to incorporate learning technologies that are cognizant of infrastructural disparities will be crucial to ensure a variety of learners can take advantage of mixed in-person and remote opportunities suited to their needs.

S-Special needs

Given inequalities in learning levels for students that experience various dimensions of poverty and exclusion, it is important to prioritize the learning needs of the most vulnerable and at-risk children as they are likely to require the most investment to recover from learning losses in the previous academic year, as well as additional non-academic support, including material and psycho-social, to ensure they are equipped to learn. Prioritizing the needs of vulnerable students is critical for Nigeria’s education system to make an inclusive and equitable recovery and build the foundation for future progress. A key way to achieve this is to work in tandem with organisations that are working locally to confront the nation’s most intractable local challenges. For example, Slum2School, an organisation that provides children in slums and remote communities in Lagos, Nigeria, to education. Last year, in the peak of the pandemic, the organization launched a digital platform that provides self-paced and collaborative learning modules delivered through interactive live sessions.

To address the poor learning levels pre-pandemic, and the learning losses induced by the pandemic, it is imperative to incorporate innovative measures to support and accelerate learning across schools in Nigeria. The role of education as a precursor to other Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) can not be denied, and unless the education system is strategically strengthened, progress on other goals/indicators will stagnate. The FACTS approach offers a basis upon which a results-driven, learning-oriented, inclusive and equitable strategy can be built.

This Article was first published on RISE