By Oluseye Ojo
Recent studies by agencies of the Federal Government and analysis by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) revealed that about 250 out of every 1,000 children in Nigeria are not enrolled in formal education.
The reports and analysis might have pushed the total of school-age children that are not in school to approximately 17.8 million, which is considered to be the highest in the world.
But the high cost of living and escalating prices of essential commodities, rocking the country at the moment have been identified as parts of factors that could increase out-of-school children in the nation, rich in human and natural resources.
In this month – September 2024, primary and secondary schools in Nigeria began the 2024/2025 academic session. But there have been serious concerns on how inflation that has reduced the purchasing and affordability powers of Nigerians could further make parents to withhold sending their children to school and could as well make a number of children drop out of school.
There have been different reports on the figures of out-of-school children in the country. The reports, though have presented different results, the constant element is that Nigeria has between 10 million and N18 million out-of-school children. Some reports said 10.5million and some said over 17.8million.
Investigation revealed that beneath the stark statistics is a complex, multi-faceted narrative, being shaped by social, economic, and political forces.
The statistics
The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) has drawn attention to the fact that millions of children are not receiving education, which could undermine individual potential and threaten national development.
Though, availability of the actual number of school-age children in Nigeria is a subject of research that is not yet in public domain, data from the National Mass Education Programme Initiative (NMPI) 2022dwells on the number of children aged six to 15 that are out of school across the country. The data might not have been updated since then. The data showed that the first five states in Nigeria with the highest number of out-of-school children are Kebbi, which has 67.6 per cent; Sokoto with 66.4 per cent; Yobe with 62.9 per cent; Zamfara:with 61.3 per cent; and Bauchi with 55.7 per cent.
Borno is in the sixth position among states with the highest number of out-of-school children with 54.2 per cent. It was followed by Jigawa in the 7th position with 51.1 per cent.
Gombe has 48 per cent, Katsina has 45.9 per cent, Niger has 42.8 per cent, Kano has 39.2 per cent, Taraba has 28.8 per cent, Nasarawa: 25.4 per cent, Plateau has 23.2 per cent, and Kwara is in the 15th position with 22 per cent. The list also comprised Kaduna with 21.9, Adamawa with 21.7, Oyo with 20.9 per cent, Ogun with 20.5 per cent, Benue with 18.4, Ebonyi with 16.7, Ondo with 13.8, Osun with 12.8, FCT with 12.8, Edo with 11.3, Akwa Ibom with 10.6, Kogi with 10.2, Delta with 9.3, Rivers with 7.7, Cross River with 7.6, Enugu with 7.5, and Bayelsa with: 7.4 per cent.
The five states with lowest out-of-school children in the country are Anambra with 2.9, Imo with 5.1, Ekiti with 5.1, Asia with 5.6, and Lagos with 6.4 per cent. Statisense, a leading AI (artificial intelligence) data company, which relies on internal organisations like UNICEF and government agencies for its information, reported in 2023 that out of every 100 out-of-school children in Nigeria, 67 are from northern region, while 33 are from the south.
Northern Nigeria has 15.23 million out-of- school children, according to a report posted on the X handle of Statisense. Also, it reported that Southern Nigeria has 2.58 million children who are not in school as at 2023. Statisense which got its data from UNICEF also says Southern Nigeria has 2.58 million children.
Regional Breakdown
The six zones in Nigeria, according to the 2023 report from Statisense, have approximately 17.8million out-of-school children, with North West having the highest number. North-West Zone: The North-West region is the hardest hit, with approximately 8.04 million children absent from school.Insurgency, widespread poverty, and cultural resistance significantly hinder educational access. States like Yobe, Niger, and Katsina are emblematic of the crisis, where the future of millions remains uncertain amidst violence and socio-economic instability.
North-East Zone: The situation in the North-East further exacerbates Nigeria’s educational challenges, particularly due to the Boko Haram insurgency. With around 5.6 million children out of school, states such as Borno, Adamawa, and Taraba illustrate the struggles against ongoing violence and displacement.
North-Central Zone: In the North-Central region, 2.12 million children remain uneducated. Frequent farmers’ clashes and ethnic conflicts in states like Benue and Plateau contribute to educational disruption and family instability.South-West Zone: The South-West zone is said to account for well over 3.3 million out-of-school children. Urban overpopulation, driven by migration into states like Lagos, Oyo and Ogun, have reportedly worsened the educational infrastructure deficit, leaving many children without access to formal schooling.
Investigation also showed that the distribution of out-of-school children in the South West. As gathered, Lagos has approximately 703,756 out-of-school children, while Ogun State has 621,291 children that are not in school.In Oyo State, approximately 682,589 children are out of school, while Osun State has approximately 463,788 children, Ondo has pproximately 507,296, and Ekiti also has approximately 359,224 out-of-school children.
South-East Zone: Although the South-East region boasts relatively better enrolment rates, it still struggles with around 664,000 children absent from school.
Factors such as child labour, low family incomes, and persistent socio-economic challenges have been found out to be obstructing access to education,. South-South Zone: In the South-South region, figures indicate about 769,000 children out of school, driven by economic struggles, poor educational facilities, and environmental degradation.
Causes of the crisis
An array of factors have been found to be contributing to the monumental educational crisis in Nigeria. But poverty has been identified as the most significant barrier preventing families from sending their children to school. Educationists and researchers said this stems from dire economic conditions that make education unaffordable. Another factor that has been identified is insecurity and insurgency, particularly in the North-East and North-West. In the two zones, violence has disrupted educational activities and also destroyed infrastructures.Also, in various regions, traditional beliefs, regarding gender roles could have impeded girls’ education, as many families prioritise boys over girls. On economic pressures, the need for child labour to supplement family income frequently has also been identified as one of the factors keeping children out of school, and has further created a vicious cycle of poverty.
Government initiatives
The Nigerian government has orchestrated various initiatives aimed at tackling the educational crisis, especially on the out-of-school children. It was gathered that the Universal Basic Education (UBE) Programme, was established to ensure that every child receives a minimum of nine years of compulsory schooling. However, critical stakeholders said implementation of the lofty goal has remained inconsistent across different states. Also, they said national policy on education, which provides a framework for educational advancement, requires stringent enforcement and local adaptability.
On local government coordination, research showed that states have created programmes to incentivise school attendance. But the outcomes, it was revealed, varied dramatically, often hindered by corruption and inadequate infrastructure.
There have been instances of primary seconds in different parts of the country, where pupils have been sitting on the floor to learn because there were not chairs and desks. Stakeholders said inadequate infrastructure could have discouraged children to lose interest in going to school, thereby depleting the retention rate in schools.Chairman, Oyo State House of Assembly Committee on Education (Basic and Secondary), Ogundele Akintola, stated that he was surprised that “the number of out-of-school children is enormous and there is need to build up and support any amendment that will enable the government to push and reduce the number of out-of-school children.
Check for part 2 of this story
Experts, stakeholders worry, as out-of-school children number swells (2)
