UNICEF: 18.95 Million Nigerian Children Out of School

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has revealed that the number of out-of-school children in Nigeria has reached 18.95 million, raising fresh concerns over the country’s growing education crisis.

The figure was disclosed at an orientation programme for traditional rulers held in Numan, Adamawa State. UNICEF’s Bauchi Field Office organised the event in collaboration with the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) and the Adamawa State Ministry of Education and Human Capital Development. Key local government areas in Adamawa, including Numan, Guyuk, Jada, Demsa, and others, were identified as having the highest dropout rates among boys and girls. Speaking at the programme, the state Commissioner for Education, Dr Umar Garba Pella, was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Hajiya Aisha Umar, who highlighted the importance of traditional rulers in reversing the trend at the grassroots level.

UNICEF Education Officer Abdulraham Ado said the engagement aimed to strengthen the involvement of traditional institutions in promoting enrollment, retention, and transition in the school system, while reinforcing community ownership of schools. Rufus Isaiah, Director of Planning, Research, and Statistics at the Adamawa Ministry of Education, noted that Adamawa accounts for 30% of Nigeria’s out-of-school population. He said one in three children aged 4–12 is out of school, with 10.2 million not enrolled in primary school. UNICEF Bauchi Field Chief, Dr Nuzhat Rafique, reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to ensuring no child is left behind in education and health. She called for stronger partnerships with traditional leaders to bridge the learning gap.

Responding, His Majesty Hama Bachama Ismaila Daniel Shaga commended UNICEF and its partners and pledged the full support of traditional leaders. He also called on the federal government to assign constitutional responsibilities to traditional institutions and urged the Adamawa government to fix failing school infrastructure. The event drew attendance from all six traditional rulers of Adamawa’s southern zone, government officials, and education stakeholders.