The small “d” in the development Research and Projects Center’s (dRPC) name captures its community-centered approach, where the voices, hearts, hands, and minds of beneficiary girls and the organizations they represent are afforded leading roles in all dRPC’s education research and projects.  

Based in Nigeria, dRPC’s core mission is to promote and empower activists, local champions and civil society groups to design and lead projects, research and initiatives to address Nigeria’s multiple social challenges, in particular, socio-economic barriers to girls’ education. 

dRPC tackles barriers to girls’ education by:  

• Training 60 girls to address school insecurity by successfully advocating for the full implementation of the National Policy on Safety, Security, and Violence Free Schools in Nigeria. In the event of school attacks, dRPC trained 75 school teachers and principals on school safety defensive procedures and actions. 

• Empowering 40 secondary school girls to set up community based early childhood development centers for children. To support the girls, dRPC donated play and education materials; trained the girls in play-based learning, small business management and first aid; and registered the community schools. Forty percent of the girls have completed the Nigerian Certificate for Education and Basic Health programs to become community teachers, employers of labor in their communities and role models for young girls in their communities.  Since inception, the early childhood development centers have enrolled over 10,000 students in five years creating employment for 82 young people. 

• Focusing on research by conducting an in-depth study of gender responsive education efforts in the Nigerian Government’s Education Sector Plans.  

The dRPC Future Workers Project is a new initiative focused on the importance of technical and vocational education in Nigeria by providing students with access to government technical and vocational schools, career guidance and counseling to improve career choices and options for graduating students, and after school clubs to support student success. 

As one principal stated, “This is the first time we have had the career guidance. To invite resource persons and dignitaries to attend it, we have not had it like that. It helps us to build a kind of interest and every year at the end of the session we will try to organize a career day because it is very important. It is a very good activity; the career day is very important and we would like to continue it.” Principal, GTC Funtua, Katsina State 

dRPC has made a demonstrated positive impact on access to quality education for girls in Nigeria. Their efforts continuing into 2025 will continue to ensure that no girl is left behind.