Nigeria has documented 700,000 children out of school, according to the National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School Children Education (NCAOOSCE), underscoring the urgent need for interventions across the country, ENigeria Newspaper learnt.
Dr. Muhammad Idris, Executive Secretary of NCAOOSCE, disclosed the figure during the inaugural Benue Basic Education Summit in Makurdi. The summit was organised by the Benue State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) in collaboration with the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), NCAOOSCE, and Universal Learning Solutions (ULS).
As part of efforts to curb the menace, Benue State Governor Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia launched the “Brace Up Project” and inaugurated student marshals across all local councils to track and identify out-of-school children in their communities. Alia reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to free and compulsory basic education, describing it as a fundamental right that should not be denied to any child.
In a related development, Oyo State Governor ‘Seyi Makinde revealed that about 65,000 out-of-school children have returned to classrooms in the state. Makinde attributed the success to the Better Education Service Delivery for Additional Financing (BESDA-AF) programme, supported by the World Bank and UBEC, which has strengthened the state’s capacity to deliver quality education.
During a courtesy visit by the BESDA-AF support mission, Makinde assured that his administration would continue to put in the necessary resources to fully utilise allocated funds for education. UBEC Executive Secretary Hajiya Aisha Garba commended Benue State for its tangible reforms, while the World Bank team lead, Shinsaku Nomura, lauded Oyo’s efforts in improving access to education and equipping students with quality learning opportunities.
The documentation of 700,000 out-of-school children across Nigeria highlights the scale of the challenge, but ongoing initiatives in states like Benue and Oyo signal a renewed push to ensure all children have access to formal education.
