The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has raised significant concerns over Nigeria’s staggering number of out-of-school children, noting that the country harbors the largest such population globally. Only 63 percent of primary school children regularly attend school, leaving a substantial portion of the youth without access to education.
During a 2-day Regional Stakeholders Engagement Meeting held at Emerald Hotel Hall in Gombe, Dr. Tushar Rane, Chief of Field Office at Bauchi UNICEF Field Office, highlighted the alarming statistics. He revealed that 10.2 million primary school-age children and an additional 8.1 million at the junior secondary level are out of school in Nigeria. Particularly troubling is the North-East and North-West sub-regions, where low learning achievement and high rates of out-of-school children persist.
Rane emphasized the need for effective transition mechanisms, citing that only 84 percent of children successfully move to junior secondary education after completing primary school. Additionally, less than half of the 5.9 million children entering Primary Grade 1 annually persist to Junior Secondary Grade 3, indicating significant dropout rates.
An analysis spanning a decade from 2011 to 2021 revealed an increase in primary-level dropout rates, especially in the northern regions and among the poorest wealth quintiles. Rane attributed these challenges to various obstacles such as inadequate policies, limited budget allocation, teacher shortages, poor infrastructure, cultural norms, health concerns, and economic pressures on children.
In collaboration with the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), UNICEF has developed the “National Framework of Action to Reduce the Number of Out-of-School Children in Nigeria” and the “Retention, Transition, and Completion Model.” These frameworks aim to promote inclusive and equitable quality education, address the out-of-school children phenomenon, enhance community mobilization, leverage technology for learning access, and ensure adequate financing for education initiatives.
Prof. Aishatu Maigari, Gombe State Commissioner of Education, expressed determination to address the issue, describing the engagement as a robust platform to develop policies and programs to reintegrate out-of-school children into education systems. She stressed the transformative impact of education, particularly for girls, and highlighted the pivotal role of fathers in supporting their children’s education.
Maigari shared personal anecdotes of successful women in her family, attributing their achievements to parental support and emphasizing the positive influence of involved fathers in ensuring educational success. She urged participants to collectively work towards changing the narrative and prioritizing children’s education as a societal imperative.