UNICEF calls for urgent action to address Nigeria’s out-of-school crisis
UNICEF has issued a strong call for increased commitment from state governments and stakeholders to combat Nigeria’s severe out-of-school children crisis.
At a two-day regional stakeholders meeting in Ibadan focused on education for South-West states, UNICEF Education Specialist Azuka Menkiti emphasised the need for innovative solutions to improve student retention, transition, and completion rates.
Menkiti highlighted the alarming statistics from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and UNICEF’s 2021 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS), revealing that only 39 percent of the poorest girls attend primary school and just 41 percent of primary students complete junior secondary education.
Furthermore, 73 percent of children aged 7 to 14 lack functional reading skills, and 43 percent of those with functional difficulties are in primary school.
“UNICEF’s goal is to ensure that adolescents not only have access to secondary education but also acquire the necessary knowledge and skills to complete their education and transition into work or further training,” Menkiti said.
She stressed the importance of building multiple learning pathways to address the out-of-school crisis and improve educational outcomes.
Another UNICEF Education Specialist, Babagana Aminu, noted that despite six million children enrolling in primary education each year, one million do not advance to lower secondary school. He detailed that education completion rates in the South-West region are 92.6 percent for primary education, 85.3 percent for lower secondary, and 72.9 percent for upper secondary.
Oyo State Commissioner for Education, Prof. Salihu Abdulwaheed, acknowledged the gravity of the issue, calling it “embarrassing” and emphasising the need for a sustained, serious intervention over the next five years.
He highlighted that many of the out-of-school children in the region are non-indigenes, underscoring the state’s commitment to addressing this challenge.
