Psycho-social Barriers to Enrolment and Retention in Basic Education among the Girl Child in Northern Nigeria

Inclusive education is one of the critical drivers of national development, health outcomes, and economic growth. Yet low enrolment and retention of girls in basic education in northern Nigeria continues to hinder progress toward gender equity and sustainable development. Despite various local and international policies and programs introduced over the past three decades to increase girls’ enrolment and retention in basic education in Nigeria, implementation gaps persist. Furthermore, while these policies existed on paper, some psychosocial factors continue to undermine their effectiveness. It is therefore imperative to identify these persistent barriers to girls’ enrolment and retention in school, and to strengthen policy outcomes. The current study reviewed literature from the past three decades to examine interventions aimed at addressing these challenges. Specifically, it assessed how psychosocial variables affect girls’ enrolment and retention, evaluated the extent to which past and existing policies have reduced disparities in pupil enrolment, and determined the proportion of girls’ enrolment in basic education in selected focal areas. The study concludes that while enrolment has improved in some areas, retention remains low in northern Nigeria due to persistent sociocultural and psychosocial barriers and weak policy implementation. It recommends stronger policy enforcement and monitoring, school-based psychosocial and gender-sensitive support, engagement of community and religious leaders, targeted aid for vulnerable girls, and improved data tracking across the nation