Coronavirus
Rethinking Inclusive Education: COVID-19 realities, post implications on education
Prior to the pandemic, there have been efforts geared towards addressing educational inequity and ensuring that children everywhere are learning. One of such is the Inclusive education program.
Throughout history, we have seen that for every event that affects our lives, there are several unintended consequences. Over the past months, the world has grappled with the impact of COVID-19. Primarily a health-related issue, its impact is far-reaching and one area which has been significantly affected is education. All over the world, schools have been forced to close, and Nigeria is not left out.
The Realities We Find in Nigeria
Prior to the pandemic, there have been efforts geared towards addressing educational inequity and ensuring that children everywhere are learning. One of such is the Inclusive education program.
Inclusive education, as identified by Inclusive education Canada, is about ensuring access to quality education for all students by effectively meeting their diverse needs in a responsive way. It is about how we develop and design our schools, classrooms, and programs so that all students can learn and participate.
But can we estimate how much the COVID-19 pandemic has affected education? Are the estimated 46 million students forced to stay at home in Nigeria still learning? With the uncertainty regarding how long the shutdown will last, there have been several interventions to ensure that students are still learning.
In line with global trends, highbrow private schools in the country have adopted a virtual learning model. However, a significant number of students in the Nigerian educational system are found in public schools.
For this category of learners, what happens to them? Also, some state governments have introduced television and radio learning but one can observe that almost 70% of states in the country have done nothing to meet the learning needs of these students. Again, we see education take a back seat.
(READ MORE: Emefiele insists CBN will not sell forex for importation of items produced in Nigeria)
Furthermore, in a country like Nigeria with an epileptic power situation, another reality hits. Do all homes have access to electricity to view television programs and how many homes have access to a television? This is vital as approximately 44% of our population is living in extreme poverty, according to the latest report by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
As a teacher in a public primary school in Kaduna, Muktar is faced with this reality. Among the 154 students in his class, 40% of them lack access to either a television or radio while 55% lack access to a consistent power supply. This means that the chances of more than half of his students not accessing any of the educational programs is very high. How do they learn during this pandemic?
Whilst we agree that radio is a good fit for reaching a wide audience, the question is, how many subjects can be effectively taught over the radio? In responding to this, we need to remember the learning styles of students, the time it takes to understand what is being transmitted, and their different learning environments.
Would Sule in Minna have the same learning experience as Hajara in Osogbo? One thing we can be certain of is, as it stands, the educational inequity gap would be further widened post-COVID-19.
In attaining inclusive education, nutrition plays a crucial part. Fundamentally, the homegrown school feeding program was introduced to meet this need. However, with the absence of school meals, a lot of students nationwide, even with access to learning opportunities, may be learning with little or no food intake thereby impeding the learning process.
It is also becoming clearer that we cannot completely tech our way out of the current situation. Although technology plays a huge role, we need to start addressing the fundamental issues in our society- one of which is the quality of teachers in the system. Can the existing teachers run a fully functional education technology system?
Also, what infrastructure can be put in place to cater to all students in the system irrespective of location? As an offshoot of the above, another reality still remains that the rate of internet penetration is not evenly spread across the country and the cost of data is still relatively high.
(READ MORE: US supports Nigeria with $32.8 million for COVID-19, over $5billion on health in 20 years)
Going Forward
It has become obvious that going forward, there will be a call to re-evaluate our educational system to truly achieve inclusive education. In doing this, there is no one size fits all strategy. However, the first step in proffering any solution is to know the people for whom the solution is meant. It is high time we had real data about the diverse population in the country. We need to understand the different types of learners in the country, where they are, and their learning needs.
Education
Also, our learning methodology needs to be revisited. Our institutions and methodologies are being tested; it can no longer be business as usual. We need to act and the time to start acting is now. We need to start putting the right infrastructure and personnel in place in our educational system.
In conclusion, these words from Bill Gates summarises all we have said; the disease is both a symptom and cause of inequity. Today, it is COVID-19; tomorrow, it could be another pandemic. But in all, they are all fuelling the inequity gap.
This article was written by Godwin Henry and Muktar Agbadi.
Godwin Henry is an Alumnus (2017 Cohort) of Teach For Nigeria, and Muktar Agbadi is a 2018 Teach For Nigeria fellow currently serving in Kaduna State
Coronavirus
Covid-19: Timeline of every pronouncement made by Nigeria to support the economy.
Timeline of every action announced since the outbreak hit Nigeria.
The number of people living with the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) and deaths from it have been on the increase daily.
The Federal Government and its relevant agencies, especially the Central Bank of Nigeria, have responded with policies to cushion the economy, restore investors’ confidence, and support Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and households.
A look at some of the initiatives:
MAY 28. 2020
Central Bank of Nigeria has approved and disbursed N10.5 billion out of the N100 billion credit intervention on the healthcare industry to cushion the impact of the Coronavirus on the operators in the sector.
The apex bank disbursed the fund for the establishment of advanced diagnostic and health centres and the expansion of some pharmaceutical plants for essential drugs and intravenous fluids
According to the CBN boss, the apex bank had stipulated the requirements to access the funds. Part of it is that a corporate entity must submit its application to a participating financial institution (PFI) which could be either a Deposit Money Bank or a Development Finance Institution of its choice with a bankable business plan.
The Monetary Policy Committee of the Central Bank of Nigeria decided by a unanimous vote to reduce the Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) from 13.5% to 12.5% and to hold all other policy parameters constant. Seven (7) members voted for a reduction of the policy rate by 100 basis points, two (2) members by 150 basis points and one (1) member by 200 basis points.
Highlights of the MPC’s decisions:
I. Reduce the MPR to 12.5 per cent;
II. Retain the Asymmetric Corridor of +200/-500 basis points around the MPR;
III. Retain the CRR at 27.5 per cent; and
IV. Retain the Liquidity Ratio at 30 per cent.
The Committee maintained that although a sharp decline in output growth is expected in Q2 2020 and maybe the third quarter if the current stimulus initiatives are properly implemented, the economy would reverse to positive growth by the fourth quarter.
MAY 27, 2020
Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), approved regulatory forbearance to restructure credit facilities in the Other Financial Institution (OFI) sub-sector.
The apex bank reduced the interest rates on its facilities through participating financial institutions from 9% to 5% per annum for a year with effect from March 1, 2020.
MAY 21, 2020
CBN introduced N100 billion credit intervention scheme to mitigate the impacts of COVID-19 on businesses, particularly those in the health sector. The scheme, which was planned to be funded from the Real Sector Support Facility – Differentiated Cash Reserves Requirement, is to have an interest rate of 5% per annum until March 1, 2021, when it will revert back to 9%.
The apex bank insisted that the money would be given to people that would import or source for foreign exchange for materials that can be source locally
CBN also postponed the much-awaited May 2020 Monetary Policy Commission (MPC) meeting. The meeting that was earlier scheduled for Monday and Tuesday, May 25 and 26, 2020, was shifted to Thursday, May 28, 2020. This is as a result of the
declaration of Monday and Tuesday, May 25 and 26, 2020, as Eid-el Fitr holidays.
The apex bank assured that it has put in place all necessary machinery for the meeting to now hold for only one day on account of the on-going COVID-19 national lockdown and to align this meeting with extant rules of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 and advisories from other relevant agencies.
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MAY 19, 2020
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) tasked industrial conglomerates operating in the country to support efforts of the government to grow the nation’s economy and return it to its green days. CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, warned that the apex bank would not support the importation of items that could be produced in Nigeria.
In a virtual meeting with Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of conglomerates in Nigeria, Emefiele explained that the CBN, in line with President Muhammadu Buhari’s desire, was determined to return the Nigerian economy to the period when the manufacturing and agricultural sectors formed the base of the economy.
READ ALSO: Central banks digital currencies pose a threat against the U.S dollar
MAY 18, 2020
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) tasked industrial conglomerates operating in the country to support efforts of the government to grow the nation’s economy and return it to its green days. CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, warned that the apex bank would not support the importation of items that could be produced in Nigeria.
In a virtual meeting with Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of conglomerates in Nigeria, Emefiele explained that the CBN, in line with President Muhammadu Buhari’s desire, was determined to return the Nigerian economy to the period when the manufacturing and agricultural sectors formed the base of the economy.
MAY 18, 2020
The Federal Government of Nigeria extended the gradual easing of the COVID-19 lockdown across the country by two weeks.
Chairman of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19, Boss Mustapha, stated that in spite of the modest progress made, the country is still not yet ready for full reopening of the economy and said that tough decisions have to be taken for the good of the greater majority.
Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) also signed an agreement with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to spend as much as N1 billion as quarantine costs for about 3,000 Nigerian returnees.
The decision by the duo regulator was disclosed by Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs’ Minister, Geoffrey Onyeama. According to Onyema, this is a CSR gesture by the CBN and the NNPC. The N1 billion is expected to cover the costs of hotel accommodation and the feeding of the returnees
READ ALSO: Covid-19: CBN wants to fund research for Nigerian Made vaccines
MAY 16, 2020
Federal Government announced that new Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) will access National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) registration of their products at an 80% discount, over the next 6 months.
This concession covers MSMEs that are into production of foods, drugs, and related consumables. As an added incentive, the first 200 micro and small businesses to register on the e-platforms will be allowed to do it at no cost – zero tariffs.
In view of current economic challenges faced by businesses due to the pandemic, the government has also authorised NAFDAC to grant a waiver on administrative charges for overdue/late renewal of expired licenses of products for a period 90 days.
MAY 12, 2020
CBN disclosed that it was developing a framework to provide financial support to aid the fight against Coronavirus Disease in the country. According to Emefiele, the fund would be released as soon as the vaccine was validated by health authorities.
MAY 10, 2020
CBN assured foreign investors that repatriating their funds from the country was secured despite forex related revenue shortages due to the drop from the sale of crude oil globally.
The apex bank had put in place policies to ensure an orderly exit for those that might be interested in doing so and also urged investors to be patient as such repatriations were being processed, owing to the Bank’s policy of orderly exit of investments.
MAY 3, 2020
CBN and the Bankers’ Committee ordered all banks in the country not to retrench or lay-off any staff of any cadre (either full-time or part-time). The apex bank also said that its approval must be sought if it became absolutely necessary to lay-off any such staff.
MAY 2, 2020
The Nigeria Incentive-based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL) Microfinance bank, on behalf of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), started the disbursement of the N50 billion Targeted Credit Facility (TCF) to beneficiaries.
The facility is a stimulus package which was introduced by CBN, to help mitigate the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on households and MSMEs.
APRIL 30, 2020
CBN extended the deadlines issued to Microfinance banks (MFB) to comply with its revised minimum capital requirements.
APRIL 29, 2020
CBN resumed the sales of dollars to SMEs who need foreign exchange for essential imports, as well as Nigerian students in foreign schools who need to pay their school fees.
This comes as the world-wide COVID-19 lockdown begins to ease up, even as business activities are expected to gradually return to normal. In view of the gradual easing of the COVID-19 lockdown both globally and in Nigeria.
APRIL 28. 2020
The apex bank lifted the temporary suspension placed on cheque clearing in the country with effect from Tuesday, April 28, 2020.
In the circular, it explained that it lifted the suspension in furtherance of its efforts in the development of a safe and efficient payment system in the country.
IMF loan
The executive board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), approved $3.4 billion as Rapid Financing Instrument (RFI) as fiscal support to Nigeria during this period of coronavirus pandemic.
The fund that was requested by Nigeria is to be used to mitigate the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Nigeria’s economy as the country grapples with dwindling government revenue and an economic crisis following the crash of crude oil prices globally.
READ ALSO: CBN discloses conditions for assessing N100 billion credit facility, addresses ‘process problems’
APRIL 14, 2020
In preparation for post-COVID-19, CBN announced four major areas of focus. They are:
• Provision of affordable housing: Here the CBN will create an intervention fund which will target housing construction by developers who provide proof of profiled off-takers with the capacity to repay the loan.
The BVN will be used to verify the information given by the off-takers before the developers can access the facility. The CBN will also assist the mortgage finance sub-sector, assist land administration agencies at the states to build capacity for prompt processing and issuance of land titles.
• Renewable energy: The CBN, over the next three years, will be providing financial support to environmentally friendly energy production, as this has tangential long term health benefits.
• Cutting edge research: Also, the bank will be providing funding and encouraging efforts aimed at driving innovation and research in every sector through our universities, research institutions, creative industry initiatives and so on.
• Light manufacturing: The apex bank plans to set up a N500 billion intervention fund over a medium, and targeted at manufacturing firms for the procurement of state of the art machinery and equipment and automated manufacturing models that would fast track local production. It will also help increase the patronage of locally processed products.
CBN intends to close the funding gap needed for the replacement of machinery and equipment in order to enhance local production.
MARCH 30, 2020
* The Federal Government also gave a directive that all economic and social activities in Ogun, Lagos States and Federal Capital Territory should be suspended for two weeks. The lockdown affected the movement of people across the states, except for people in the essential services sectors.
• CBN suspended the clearing of all cheque instruments in the Nigerian Clearing System. According to the bank, the directive was intended to “ensure hitch-free clearing and settlement activities” during the previous 14-day lockdown.
CBN’s suspension was based on the earlier envisaged two-weeks lockdown which was later extended to about 5 weeks.
MARCH 27, 2020
CBN and the Banker’s Committee formed the Nigerian Private Sector Coalition Against COVID-19. The apex bank explained that the coalition was in partnership with the private sector, led by Aliko Dangote Foundation and Access Bank.
MARCH 25, 2020
Following the request of the Association of Bureau de Change Operators of Nigeria (ABCON) to declare market holiday on its members’ weekly bidding, the CBN suspended the sales of foreign exchange to operators of Bureau de Change.
MARCH 24, 2020
The Monetary policy committee unanimously voted to:
• Retain the MPR (Monetary policy Rate) at 14%.
• Retain the asymmetric corridor at +200/-500 basis points.
• Retain the CRR (Cash Reserve ratio) at 27.5% and retain liquidity ratio at 30%.
MARCH 20, 2020
• The CBN officially devalued the naira by 15% moving from N307/$1 to N360/$1. Depreciation at the “market-determined” I&E window is 5%, having moved from N360/$1 to N380/$1.
• CBN sold dollars to banks at N380/$1 in a move signifying a devaluation of the currency. Banks trading at the Investor and Exporter (I&E) window bought dollars at N360/$1 from the CBN on Friday, March 20, 2020. The I&E window is the official market where forex is traded between banks, the CBN, foreign investors, and businesses
Coronavirus
CBN disburses N10.5 billion out of N100 billion credit to healthcare industry
The bank has approved and disbursed N10.15billion for some projects for the establishment of advanced diagnostic and health centres and the expansion of some pharmaceutical plants for essential drugs and intravenous fluids.”
Out of the N100 billion credit intervention meant for the healthcare industry, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has disbursed N10.5billion to cushion the impact of the Coronavirus on the sector.
This was disclosed by the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, in Abuja at the end of the MPC 273rd meeting held virtually.
According to the CBN boss, the apex bank had stipulated the requirements to access the funds. Part of it is that a corporate entity must submit its application to a participating financial institution (PFI) which could be either a Deposit Money Bank or a Development Finance Institution of its choice with a bankable business plan.
The guidelines stated that the PFI must appraise and conduct due diligence on the application; and upon approval by the PFI’s credit committee, the application would be submitted to the apex bank with relevant documents attached.
The CBN would process and disburse funds to the PFI for onward release to the project. It stated that the PFI must receive and review applications submitted by its customers; undertake due diligence based on normal business considerations, and bear the credit risk.
They must also issue offer letters and forward qualified applications to the CBN; disburse the released funds to successful applicants; monitor the project and recover the loans from the beneficiaries, and maintain adequate records of all beneficiaries and facilities.
Emefiele said, “The committee recognised that under the N100bn healthcare sector intervention fund, the bank has approved and disbursed N10.15bn for some projects for the establishment of advanced diagnostic and health centres and the expansion of some pharmaceutical plants for essential drugs and intravenous fluids.”
Coronavirus
CBN disburses N50 billion loans through MFBs’ IT platform
It aims to enhance financial access, inclusion and sustainability of the microfinance institutions on value chain financing and ensure the growth of the small and medium scale enterprises.
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is disbursing the N50billion COVID-19 Targeted Credit Facility meant for Households and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) that are affected by the killer disease via the Integrated National Association of Microfinance Banks Unified IT Platform (NAMBUIT) deployed by Inlaks.
NAMBUIT is a unified information technology built by Inlaks to service Microfinance banks on behalf of CBN and NAMBs. The innovation was designed to boost financial access, inclusion and sustainability of the microfinance institutions on value chain financing and ensure the growth of the small and medium scale enterprises. The NAMBUIT Platform, according to the Inlaks, is powered with a sophisticated Loan module for the management of the total life cycle of the over 80,000 loans that will be disbursed for this scheme.
Chief Executive Officer, African Operations, Inlaks. Femi Adeoti, explained that the platform runs on Temenos T24 Inclusive Banking Suite (IBS), and implementation is being managed by Inlaks, a system integrator in Sub-Saharan Africa, in line with global best practices, with support from the CBN.
“NAMBUIT is Software as a Service (SaaS) platform that reduces operational costs as well as improves the bank’s ability to provide necessary information to agencies such as CBN and NDIC. The unified platform comprises a core banking system and sub-systems for agent banking, non-interest banking, and mobile payment among other services.
“A core benefit of the NAMBUIT platform is the smooth on-boarding of the microfinance banks (MFBs) into the national payment system lowering the operating costs of MFBs significantly. This has been significant, especially in the context of developing economies, where many low-income households and micro-enterprises do not have ready access to financial services.”
The CBN had introduced the N50bn Targeted Credit Facility as a stimulus package to support households and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The N50bn intervention is financed from the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Fund. The loan amount is determined based on the activity, cash flow and industry size of the beneficiary, subject to a maximum of N25m for SMEs. Households with verifiable evidence of livelihood adversely impacted by COVID-19 can access the loan to a maximum of N3m.
MATAIMAKI T. MAIYASHI
May 22, 2020 at 12:07 pm
The article has raised some of the most critical issues around inclusiveness in the delivery of education in our nation. No one will dispute the reality that our education delivery has been extremely poor, discriminatory,characterized by inadequacy in teacher provision, instructional materials,infrastructure and very poor an unaccountable governance. With the devastation of COVID 19, The complications can be imagined. Our planning capacity is weak, primitive politics has beclouded our sense of reasoning, and we have failed realise that overall implication of a poor education delivery system bears grave consequences in the building of democracy, human dignity, human happiness, and human development. WE will God knows for how long, stagnate in a deepening social and economic instability, generating disaffection, inequality, divisions and ultimate strangulation of the Nigerian nation.
Going forward we need to immediately institute a competent team to undertake a comprehensive evaluation of where were prior to COVID 19, and new issues that the effect of COVID has generated. This is no tea party. A dispassionate analysis will certainly bring us face to face with the stark realities which we must own – up to!
Only then shall we be able develop a strategic holistic plan on how to proceed going forward.
Time is not our friend!