The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has expressed deep concern over the escalating number of out-of-school children in Nigeria, which has now reached an alarming 18.3 million.
This staggering figure positions Nigeria as the country with the highest number of out-of-school children worldwide.
Speaking at a two-day regional stakeholders’ meeting in Gombe, Dr. Tushar Rane, Chief of Bauchi Field Office, highlighted the gravity of the situation. “Nigeria faces the daunting challenge of having the largest number of out-of-school children globally,” he emphasized.
Dr. Rane noted that only 63% of primary school-age children regularly attend school, with dropout rates increasing across all genders at the primary level.
He attributed this trend to various factors, including inadequate policies, limited budget allocation, teacher and classroom shortages, poor infrastructure, cultural norms, health and safety concerns, and child labor.
To address this pressing issue, UNICEF is collaborating with the Universal Basic Education Commission to develop a comprehensive framework aimed at reducing the number of out-of-school children in Nigeria.
The “National Framework of Action to Reduce the Number of Out-of-School Children in Nigeria” and the “Retention, Transition, and Completion Model” aim to increase retention, transition, and completion rates among adolescents in secondary schools.
The two-day meeting sought to develop targeted strategies to reduce the number of out-of-school children and enhance retention, transition, and completion rates. “By the end of this meeting, we aim to have clear, state-specific strategies to tackle this challenge head-on,” Dr. Rane emphasized.”
