The Thrive Index: Girls’ Education Progression and School Safety in Edo State
The Thrive Index is Grace Agbonlahor Foundation’s annual research and advocacy project that looks beyond enrolment figures to ask how girls are really progressing through school, and how safe their learning environments are. The pilot edition focuses on Edo State, tracking key transitions in girls’ education and the presence of practical measures that keep girls safe in and around school.
Pilot edition 2025 to 2026 - Edo State secondary schools
Making girls’ journeys through school visible
Across Nigeria many girls are enrolled in school, yet far fewer complete junior and senior secondary or move on to higher education. At the same time, concerns about bullying, sexual harassment and fear on the way to school can quietly push girls out of education. The Thrive Index brings together data and voices so that these realities are no longer hidden.
Key transitions
3
critical stages are in focus - completion of junior secondary, completion of senior secondary, and movement into higher or vocational education.
Main strands
2
education progression and school safety - looking at both how far girls go and how safe they feel on the journey.
Pilot area
1
state, Edo, is the starting point for a tool that can later be adapted and scaled in other parts of Nigeria.
Annual scorecard
1
simple Thrive Index scorecard will distil the findings into clear indicators that can be tracked over time.
The Thrive Index does not replace government statistics. It complements existing data with a sharper focus on girls’ progression and safety in real school settings.
A focused look at progress, safety and barriers
The Thrive Index looks at a small number of clear questions that sit at the heart of girls’ secondary education in Edo State. It brings together school level data and lived experience so that decision makers can see where girls are progressing and where they are being left behind.
Educational progression
How many girls reach the end of junior and senior secondary school, and how many move into higher or vocational education after SSS3.
School safety and GBV prevention
What schools have in place to prevent and respond to bullying, sexual harassment and other forms of gender based violence, and how these measures are used in practice.
Barriers and dropout risks
Economic pressure, social expectations and safety concerns that make it harder for girls to stay in school, as described by school staff and girls themselves.
The Thrive Index scorecard
A simple set of indicators that combine progression, safety and barrier data into one yearly scorecard for Edo State secondary schools.
How the Thrive Index will be carried out
The Thrive Index uses a combination of school surveys and conversations with key people in the education system. It is designed to be simple enough to repeat every year, while still giving a rich picture of what girls are experiencing.
School level surveys
Selected junior and senior secondary schools in Edo State will complete short surveys capturing enrolment, completion and transition figures for girls, as well as the safeguarding and GBV prevention measures they have in place.
Conversations with school actors
Principals, guidance counsellors and safeguarding focal persons will take part in guided interviews to help explain the numbers and highlight the main barriers they see.
Voices of girls and simple analysis
Where appropriate, and with consent and safeguarding in place, selected girls will share their experiences. The data will then be brought together into a simple scorecard and short report that can support advocacy and programme design.
Indicative timeline for the pilot edition
- Planning Design of tools, school selection and permissions
- Fieldwork School surveys and interviews across selected LGAs
- Reporting Analysis, scorecard development and public launch
Volunteer with the Thrive Index
We are building a small team of volunteers to help collect and process the data behind the Thrive Index. Training and tools will be provided. If you care about girls’ education and can commit some time during the fieldwork and analysis phases, we would be glad to hear from you.
School based data enumerators
Visit selected schools in Edo State to support completion of the Thrive Index surveys with principals or designated staff, following clear guidance on consent and safeguarding.
- Comfort speaking with school staff
- Basic reading and writing skills
- Ability to move within parts of Edo State during fieldwork periods
Interview and note taking support
Assist with key informant interviews by taking notes, capturing key quotes and helping to organise simple case examples, always respecting privacy and confidentiality.
- Good listening and written communication skills
- Respect for boundaries and consent
- Interest in education and girls’ rights
Data entry and analysis assistants
Help to enter and clean survey data in spreadsheets, and support basic descriptive analysis that will feed into the Thrive Index scorecard and charts.
- Comfort with Excel or Google Sheets
- Attention to detail and accuracy
- Can be based in Edo State or support remotely
Design and communication volunteers
Turn findings into accessible visuals, short write ups and digital content for the report launch, website and social media platforms.
- Skills in writing, design or basic video editing
- Interest in storytelling for social impact
- Work closely with GAF’s communications team
All volunteers will be oriented on GAF’s safeguarding expectations before taking part in any fieldwork or direct engagement with schools or young people.
Register your interest
Please complete the short form below. For school based roles you will need to already live in Edo State or be able to travel within Edo during the fieldwork period. Remote roles are available for data and communication support.
Stay informed
Not ready to volunteer yet but want to follow the journey of the Thrive Index pilot edition? Join our mailing list to receive updates, early insights and invitations to public conversations when the first scorecard and report are released.
