The Federal Government has raised fresh alarm over Nigeria’s worsening out-of-school children crisis, revealing that approximately 15 million children are currently not enrolled in school across the country.
Despite the grim statistics, the government says it is intensifying nationwide efforts to reverse the trend through data-driven reforms, strategic collaboration, and targeted investments aimed at expanding access to education and improving learning outcomes.
Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, disclosed this at the 2026 Basic Education in Nigeria Bootcamp held in Jos, Plateau State. He emphasized that credible education data and accurate learner tracking are critical to addressing long-standing challenges in the sector, particularly gaps in foundational literacy and numeracy.
“Reliable data remains the backbone of effective education reform. Without knowing where the children are and why they are out of school, meaningful solutions cannot be implemented,” he said.
Alausa explained that the Federal Ministry of Education is expanding the Digital National Education Management Information System (NEMIS) and accelerating the rollout of the Learner Identification Number (LIN) to enable real-time tracking of learners nationwide.
He noted that the 2025/2026 Annual School Census has already captured over two million learners, providing key insights to guide policy decisions, improve enrolment strategies, and strengthen accountability. He added that nearly one million out-of-school children have been identified and mapped for reintegration into formal education and alternative learning pathways.
Highlighting ongoing investments, the minister disclosed that states accessed over N106 billion in Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) matching grants between January 2025 and January 2026 to boost basic education delivery. Additionally, N22 billion has been committed to teacher professional development, resulting in the training of about 978,000 teachers nationwide.
According to him, more than 10,000 classrooms have been renovated, while 7.8 million textbooks have been distributed to enhance learning conditions.
The government is also focusing on vulnerable groups through strengthened Almajiri and non-formal education programmes. In this regard, 1,400 Tsangaya teachers have been trained, 119 learning centres identified nationwide, and 760 enumerators deployed to improve grassroots education data and planning.
In her remarks, the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Said Ahmad, described the bootcamp as a vital platform for tackling persistent challenges in basic education. She noted that initiatives such as LUMINA 2030, EduRevamp, Skill-Up, and Communities of Practice are designed to strengthen curriculum delivery, enhance teacher capacity, expand digital learning, and improve monitoring systems nationwide.
Also speaking, Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang, represented by Deputy Governor Josephine Piyo, warned that the out-of-school children crisis poses serious social and economic risks, including poverty, insecurity, and social exclusion. He outlined the state government’s efforts to improve access to education through infrastructure development, water provision, and learning resource distribution.
Meanwhile, education expert Titus Syengo described the situation as a national emergency, estimating that the actual number of out-of-school children in Nigeria could be as high as 18.5 million—significantly above official figures.
He stressed that Nigeria’s education reforms are critical not only for national development but also for Africa’s broader progress, given the country’s population size and regional influence.
The Federal Ministry of Education reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring inclusive, equitable, and quality education for all Nigerian children through sustained investment, credible data systems, and coordinated national action.
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