Fresh drive to tackle out-of-school children crisis
The fight against the out-of-school children crisis received fresh impetus following the commitment of over N5 billion to grassroots education interventions by the Federal Government. Pivoted on the government’s drive
The fight against the out-of-school children crisis received fresh impetus following the commitment of over N5 billion to grassroots education interventions by the Federal Government. Pivoted on the government’s drive to remove obstacles hampering access to basic education, the main focus remains underserved communities, while ensuring massive infrastructure upgrade. The impetus reinforces a pursuit of quality education through strengthening community participation in school governance, enhancing learners’ ambience nationwide, and ensuring that the targeted return of more than 400,000 out-of-school children to classrooms is successfully realised. However, there is a consensus that the out-of-school crisis is deeply rooted in socio-economic and cultural barriers that cannot be resolved by money alone. To make UBEC’s N5 billion allocation truly effective, the clarion call is to ensure the combination of strategic, data-driven planning; strong accountability mechanisms; community engagement; flexible learning pathways; incentive-based support for families; inclusive schooling models, among others. To make significant progress towards bringing millions of out-of-school children back into meaningful learning, observers assert that funding is a critical tool, but not the ultimate solution, with vigorous calls for intelligent use of resources guided by proven educational practices, rigorous oversight and deliberate tackling of insecurity in volatile regions. DAMOLA KOLA-DARE reports.
The resolve to address the country’s out-of-school children crisis received fresh fillip from the Federal Government following the allocation of over N5 billion to grassroots education interventions.
The intervention, being implemented by the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) under its School-Based Management Committee–School Improvement Programme (SBMC-SIP), has officially kicked off in Abuja as part of the 2025 implementation cycle.
UBEC Executive Secretary, Aisha Garba, disclosed that N5.18 billion had been allocated to the programme, covering 518 communities nationwide, with each state and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) benefiting from interventions in 14 schools.
Garba, who was represented by the Deputy Executive Secretary (Technical), Rasaq Akinyemi, noted that the while the intervention is mainly targeted at underserved communities, there is a focus on rehabilitating dilapidated classrooms, providing school furniture, and upgrading water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) facilities.
The UBEC boss said the programme reflects the government’s renewed determination to address obstacles hampering children’s access to basic education.
“This represents a renewed national commitment to strengthening community participation in school governance, improving learning environments across the Federation, and ensuring that every Nigerian child not only enrolls in school but remains in school to successfully complete basic education,” she said.
She emphasised that the interventions were expected to help return more than 400,000 out-of-school children to classrooms by improving school conditions and making learning environments more conducive.
Education Minister Dr. Tunji Alausa described the initiative as critical to ongoing reforms in the sector.
“These initiatives reaffirm the government’s commitment to ensuring that every school-age child is enrolled, retained, and able to complete basic education,” he said.
Represented by the Director of Basic Education Folake Olatunji-David, the minister noted that the programme is in tandem with national education policies and efforts to expand access to learning.
While critical stakeholders believe the government deserves some plaudits for being intentional about addressing the out-of-school children menace, their perspectives reinforced the need for nationwide basic education census to accurately target interventions, reliable data on OOSC to avoid undermining planning and investment efficiency, intelligent use of resources guided by proven educational practices and rigorous oversight.
Out-of-school crisis, poverty and educational exclusion, others
National President of Association of Early Childhood and Basic Education Instructors in Nigeria (AECBEIN), Dr. Simeon Fowowe, noted that a high proportion (about 86%) of out-of-school children come from rural and the poorest households, thus clearly linking poverty with educational exclusion.
According to him, financing is critical for infrastructure—building classrooms, furnishing learning materials, and paying teachers—but the investments do not automatically guarantee attendance and completion.
He said large sums of money have been spent with limited reductions in OOSC, because the causes are not just financial.
The don highlighted key non-financial barriers, including poverty, culture norms, insecurity, distance to school, and safety.
He said families often depend on child labour for survival, reducing school attendance, adding that practices such as early marriage and community preferences for informal or religious education continue.
Fowowe deplored poor sanitation, lack of girl-friendly facilities, and untrained teachers, stressing that these lead to high dropout rates.
National President of the Early Childhood Association of Nigeria (ECAN) Prof. Babajide Abidogun while quoting data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) explained that households in the poorest quintiles have the highest rates of non-enrolment, reinforcing the link between poverty and educational exclusion.
He noted that these figures illustrate that while financial allocations can address supply-side deficits, they do not automatically change demand-side barriers.
The ECAN chief described the out-of-school crisis as multidimensional, one shaped by poverty, culture, insecurity, social norms, distance, and quality of schooling, adding that money alone cannot resolve it.
Venerable Amiola Elijah Olufemi, a retired Principal Tutor at International School Lagos (ISL) University of Lagos (UNILAG) said: “Since 2014 when over 200 girls were kidnapped in Chibok from government school, many parents have stopped sending their children to school. What has the government done about security issues? It is very important.
“The second issue is that of poverty in the country, many parents cannot afford daily meals, talk more of sending their wards to school. These are critical issues that must first be addressed before money comes in.
Another issue is that of religion where girls of school age are given in marriage.
Recently, Zamfara State conducted 100 mass weddings. The government does not think of what these couples will eat after the wedding or what they will do to take care of children born to these families. What do we expect? They will give birth to children who will become beggars on the streets.
These issues need to be considered first before allocating money for such a project.”
Grim data, statistics
Fowowe said: “According to recent UNESCO an estimate, Nigeria has more than 20 million out-of-school children aged 6–18, making it one of the highest in the world. This accounts for a significant portion of the global out-of-school population.
UNICEF Nigeria data indicates that 10.2 million children are out of school at the primary level and another 8.1 million at the junior secondary level, which together represent over 18 million children not in formal education.
Of these, over 50 per cent of girls are out of school at basic education levels, and 66 per cent of all OOSC are in the Northeast and Northwest, where poverty, insecurity, and cultural barriers are more pronounced.
A high proportion (about 86%) of out-of-school children come from rural and poorest households, clearly linking poverty with educational exclusion.
This demonstrates that large sums of money have been spent with limited reductions in OOSC, because the causes are not just financial.”
Abidogun said: “The North West and North East regions account for more than 50 per cent of out-of-school children, driven by insecurity, pastoralism, and deep-rooted poverty.
Gender disparities persist: girls—especially those aged 12–15—are significantly more likely to be out of school due to early marriage, domestic responsibilities, and safety concerns.”
Deploying strategic measures alongside funding vital
The President of AECBEIN urged UBEC to expand its strategy beyond financing.
He said: “Engage traditional and religious leaders, parents, and caregivers to shift norms around the value of formal education.
“Communities that take ownership of school activities show higher enrolment and attendance because they perceive education as locally beneficial.
“Incentive programmes such as school feeding schemes, free uniforms and learning materials, conditional cash transfers tied to regular attendance should be put in place.
Evidence shows that children from poor households are more likely to attend school when direct and indirect costs are reduced.
“UBEC should invest more in bridge schools and alternative learning options, mobile schools for nomadic communities, open schooling using radio, ICT, and community facilitators. These approaches can re-engage older children and working children who cannot fit into traditional school schedules.
“Improved teacher recruitment, continuous professional development, and incentives for rural postings are essential to retain learners and improve learning outcomes. Poor teaching quality is a leading reason children drop out even after enrolling.”
For Abidogun, data-driven planning is imperative.
He posited that Nigeria still lacks a fully current, disaggregated database of out-of-school children at the ward and community level.
“UBEC should commit to routine school census and mapping, use GIS data, district profiles, and real-time tracking; prioritising interventions based on need, not political boundaries. This ensures that resources are targeted where they are most needed,” he added.
Educationist and Director, Human Capacity Development Initiative, Ketu, Lagos, Onanuga Olubayo, said: “Even the funds released over N5 billion is practically and grossly insufficient compared to the amount of work that needs to be done in our education sector and the UNESCO recommended budgetary allocation to education.
“There could be some positive results achieved with the right steps. School and schooling should be made compellingly attractive to all at the grassroots and all levels.
This could be encouraged with school programmes and practical educational approaches that actively encourage (compensate) parents to want to send their children/wards to school and even the children/wards themselves to want to attend school and learn.
This approach worked to a great effect in the 80’s and 90’s.
“There should be a legislative mandate ensuring children of school attending age category are properly absorbed and in school. Recall that a former governor of Lagos State carried this out with cheer grit and precision and it produced wonderful results.”
Proper oversight on fund utilisation
Fowowe emphasized the need for UBEC to strengthen accountability structures to guarantee that the over N5 billion allocation produces real results. Highlighting key oversight strategies, he said: “UBEC should make available public dashboards or reports showing fund allocations per state, actual expenditure and project status, progress against targets (e.g., enrolment increases).
“Transparency fosters accountability from states and local governments. Empower School-Based Management Committees (SBMCs), Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs), and community leaders to track construction projects, validate purchase of learning materials, monitor teacher deployment and attendance. Local actors have the most direct contact with schools, and their involvement reduces diversion of funds.”
Fowowe stressed that before each tranche of funds is released, UBEC should require geo-tagged photos of completed work, third-party verification by independent auditors to avoid corruption and promote efficient project completion.
Abidogun said: “Anonymous reporting systems for misuse must be widely publicised and protected.
Feedback loops from communities should feed directly into review forums.
PTAs and local community monitors should confirm physical delivery of materials before approval.
Illustration: If a school is funded for 50 desks, SBMC and PTA verification of these desks must be documented before funds for the next set of materials are released.
“Each school receiving support should publicly display the amount received, purpose of funds, progress status with photos, dates of release and completion. Public visibility increases community accountability.”
Olubayo emphasised the need for an objective, comprehensive style to acquire the data of the number of the out-of-school children in each local government, the exact amount of resources needed for execution, projected time-frame and drawing up a concise plan to draw them back to school even if just a percentage or fraction at a time.
“A well-structured monitoring system is required to ensure strict compliance with defined objectives and a proper accounting/auditing system to ensure quality service delivery at every point and adequate management/deployment of resources.
“Also important is a practical approach to evaluation of the objective in tandem with the resources invested to ensure the outcome is consistent with the intended or drawn objective and the amount of funds invested.”
Olufemi added: “How the government would monitor this fund for it not to be diverted to other things is also important. Corruption is endemic in the country and there should be proper monitoring of the fund.”
