Why 9.7 million Nigerian children may never return to school – UNICEF

Over 9.7 million children in Nigeria are at risk of never returning to school due to insecurity, and other factors, the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) has disclosed.

The UN Agency also said about 10.5 million Nigerian children, aged between five and 14, were not in school before the COVID-19 pandemic.

To address this, the UNICEF, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Education and other partners, is set to launch Nigeria Learning Passport, an online, mobile, and soon-to-be offline platform that enables continuous access to quality education, targeting 12 million learners in the country.

UNICEF Communication Officer in charge of Communications, Advocacy and Partnerships, Anike Alli-Hakeem, in a stem in Abuja, explained that learners registered on the platform will be able to study whether connected to the Internet or not.

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Alli-Hakeem added that the platform will provide access to continuous learning, including in locations where insecurity hinders learners’ access to schools, and give every child a fair chance in life.

“Learners who registered on the Nigeria Learning Passport platform would be able to study whether they are connected to the internet or not, added that with online, mobile, and soon-to-be offline options, it can help reach the most vulnerable and marginalized learners, helping to respond to the needs of every child

“The content is offered in English and the Nigerian languages of Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba, where children, youths and teachers could access a digitalised curriculum providing instructional supplementary learning materials in all core curricular subjects for Primary one to Six and all Junior and Senior Secondary school classes,” the statement read in part.