Purpose Against the backdrop of falling standards and failing government policies in the education sector in Nigeria, this paper aimed to investigate how and why non-state actors can make a significant impact on the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals for universal basic education (UBE). Design/methodology/approach This study draws from semi-structured interviews of 15 heads and proprietors – six state-funded schools, six faith schools and three other privately owned schools – to examine and compare the different motivations, guiding principles and overall impact of these actors in the education sector. Findings Religious actors, along with private providers, are making a significant contribution to the provision of basic education in Nigeria. Students from faith schools tend to perform better academically and they also tend to be more disciplined and resourceful. However, because these schools are fee-paying, fewer households are able to access them. Practical implications The findings highlight the need to facilitate better cooperation and knowledge transfer activities between public, private and faith schools. It also emphasises the need for better government commitment and investment in provision of resources and facilities, effort in regulating the curriculum and regular inspection and quality monitoring of public schools. Originality/value The study highlights, on the one hand, the superior capacity of non-state actors – especially religious actors – to deploy their vast social capital towards the mobilisation of funds and human resources. On the other hand, while they have made inroads in their share of total national school enrolment, non-state actors have not made significant impact on access to quality education, owing to high fees and entry barriers faced by poorer households.

中文翻译：

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尼日利亚的普及基础教育：非国家行为者可以有所作为吗？

目的在尼日利亚教育部门标准下降和政府政策失败的背景下，本文旨在调查非国家行为者如何以及为什么能够对实现普及基础教育（UBE）的可持续发展目标产生重大影响。设计/方法/方法这项研究来自对15位校长和所有人的半结构化访谈（六所国立学校，六所信仰学校和三所其他私立学校），以检查和比较这些动机，指导原则和总体影响教育部门的参与者。调查结果宗教行为者以及私人提供者正在为尼日利亚的基础教育提供重要的贡献。信仰学校的学生在学业上往往表现更好，他们也更有纪律和足智多谋。但是，由于这些学校是收费的，因此能够使用这些学校的家庭减少了。实际意义调查结果突出表明，有必要促进公立，私立和信仰学校之间更好的合作和知识转移活动。它还强调有必要在提供资源和设施，规范课程以及对公立学校进行定期检查和质量监测方面作出更好的政府承诺和投资。独创性/价值这项研究一方面强调了非国家行为者，尤其是宗教行为者在将其巨大的社会资本用于筹集资金和人力资源方面的卓越能力。另一方面，