The Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Olatunji Alausa, has revealed that the Federal Government is adopting a data-driven approach to address Nigeria’s out-of-school children crisis.
He stated this at a media chat in Abuja, explaining that the government is determined to use reliable, verifiable data to design targeted interventions that will bring millions of children back into classrooms. “One of the greatest challenges in solving the out-of-school problem has been the lack of accurate data. We are now using data to map communities, identify children who are out of school, and understand the barriers they face, whether economic, cultural, or infrastructural,” he said.
The Ministry launched a nationwide campaign in late 2024 in collaboration with the National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School Children Education. The initiative targets explicitly enrolling out-of-school and Almajiri children, especially within the FCT, with the government covering the full cost of enrolment during official handover ceremonies in November 2024.
Alausa mentioned that the federal government is moving for a broader reform to introduce a unified fee structure across all universities, to help eliminate arbitrary charges and restore fairness in higher education.
“Going forward, all universities will adopt a standardised and unified fee structure. This will remove the inconsistencies and exploitation that have characterised tuition and departmental charges in the past. With NELFUND loans supporting students, every fee will be clearly defined, transparent, and uniform across our universities,” he said.
