Abstract:

Background:
Persistent barriers to equitable education in Northern Nigeria—particularly for girls and marginalized learners—are reinforced by weak citizen participation in education governance and the limited integration of traditional Islamic (Tsangaya) schooling into state systems. Tsangaya education remains a major learning pathway, yet reform efforts are often contested due to cultural and religious sensitivities. To address these gaps, Plan International Nigeria implemented an education governance intervention that strengthened civil society organizations (CSOs) and youth groups to advance Gender‑Responsive Education Sector Planning (GRESP) and support context‑appropriate reforms in Tsangaya education in Adamawa and Sokoto States. The intervention combined community sensitization, multi‑stakeholder policy dialogue, and capacity strengthening in advocacy, community mobilization, budget literacy, safeguarding, and engagement with Education Sector Plans (ESPs). This study assessed the effectiveness of the intervention on CSO advocacy capacity and influence.

Methods:
A mixed‑methods approach was employed. Quantitative data were collected using a Civil Society Organizational Capacity Assessment administered to 150 randomly selected members from 30 CSOs. Qualitative insights were gathered through Key Informant Interviews and Focus Group Discussions. Baseline–endline comparisons measured changes across ten capacity domains, while qualitative findings explored shifts in collaboration, engagement practices, and perceived contributions to education planning and reform processes.

Results:
CSO capacity improved across all domains, with statistically significant gains in nine (p < 0.05). Improvements were strongest in budget literacy (44.0% to 89.6%), programme evaluation (60.0% to 88.5%), and measuring outcomes and impact (63.0% to 90.2%). By endline, 87.7% of trained CSOs reported active engagement with state and national actors. Qualitative data showed strengthened advocacy, better translation of community priorities into policy asks, and greater openness among Tsangaya practitioners to discuss reforms.

Conclusion:
Pairing structured capacity strengthening with community‑driven engagement can advance gender‑responsive planning and foster more inclusive pathways for aligning traditional schooling with formal education systems.

Keywords:

Gender‑Responsive Education Sector Planning (GRESP), Education governance, Civil society organizations (CSOs), Tsangaya education.