This manual is a comprehensive learning tool developed by Centre LSD and Christian Aid Nigeria to guide development workers, NGOs, and faith-based organisations in adopting decolonial and antiracist practices in social development work. Grounded in the Nigerian context, it challenges colonial knowledge systems and promotes indigenous perspectives as valid and essential to equitable development. It provides definitions, frameworks, and practical strategies to dismantle systemic racism and coloniality in policy, programming, and everyday development practice.

Structured across ten modules, the manual explores the historical and contemporary impact of colonialism on poverty, identity, knowledge production, and social structures. It advocates for locally rooted methodologies, indigenous empowerment, gender and social inclusion, and a rights-based approach to development. The manual is both a reflective and action-oriented guide for organisations seeking to shift power, practice inclusivity, and promote justice in their work and communities.

The manifesto is rooted in a troubling reality: 30.2% of primary-aged children and 45.7% of secondary school-aged girls in Adamawa are out of school. It also highlights teacher shortages, poor infrastructure, harmful cultural norms, and the disproportionate impact of poverty and insecurity on girls’ education.

Backed by data and community consultation, this document is both a call to action and a roadmap for the incoming state government to reverse decades of educational neglect. It emphasizes that investing in education is not just a moral imperative, it’s a pathway to breaking cycles of poverty, promoting peace, and unlocking the full potential of Adamawa’s children.