In a recent report by the Minister of State for Education, Emeka Nwajiuba said the current number of out-of-school children in the country at has increased to 10 million.
This implies an increase of 3,054,000 from the 6.946 million the figure was last year.
Recall that Adamu Adamu, the Minister of Education had earlier this January, said the number of out-of-school children which was 10.1 million in 2019 had reduced to 6.946 million in 2020.
But at the official flagging off of the World Bank-sponsored Better Education Service for All (BEDSA) in Dutse, Jigawa State, Nwajiuba said: “With an estimated 10,193,918 children out-of-school, Nigeria has the highest number of out-of-school children in Sub-Saharan Africa.”
Nwajiuba did not mention the factors responsible for increase in the figure, but said for Nigeria to address these challenges adequately, it must strengthen the quality of basic education by confronting head-on those factors denying children access to basic education.
The minister said Jigawa State was one of the worst-hit and explained that the flag-off of the programme in Jigawa was in appreciation of the efforts of the state government towards reviving the ailing sector.
He added that 16 other states including all the states in the northwest and northeast as well as Niger, Rivers, Oyo and Ebonyi States, would also benefit from the intervention to help reduce the number of out-of-school children.
The minister described the current figure of out-of-school children as disturbing, imploring state governments and other stakeholders to join the Federal Government in addressing the issue “since it affects the development of the country.”
However, the Out-Of-School Children increased By 3m In 3 Months addressed the issue of poor enrolment of children and others, his government recruited 1,393 teachers in 2018.
An educationist, Michael Ojunugwa, however, attributed the situation to the recent abductions of students and teachers in some states in the north.
He said, “If nothing is done to tackle abduction, it’ll get to a point where education will no longer take place in the north as no parents will allow their child to go and suffer in the hands of insurgents or bandits just to be educated,” he said.
