Nigeria’s 20m out-of-school children, a time bomb – Shettima warns

…Seeks 20% budgetary allocation to education

…says FG, states spent N4.6trn on education in 2024

Vice President Kashim Shettima has described Nigeria’s over 20 million out-of-school children as a time bomb requiring immediate solution.

Shettima, who spoke at an international conference on girl child education in Nigeria, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, said if not addressed, the menace poses a threat to the children’s peers in future

Shettima said Nigeria’s statistics of out-of-school children was a stark reminder of the urgency of actions needed to curb the rising rate.

“The latest multiple indicator cluster survey showed that 25.6 percent of children of primary school age are out of school, and this rate rises to 29.6 percent for secondary school age children, each child, abandoned to the streets, is a liability that the nation will one day pay for.

“We must, therefore, remember that the child who remains out of school today will be a threat to their peer in the classroom tomorrow, and we cannot afford to turn away from this reality, and the need for creative and innovative solutions is now more present than ever.”

He noted that the problem requires urgent remedy, particularly in the northern part of Nigeria.

BusinessDay checks show that states in the North-West and North-East face the highest out-of-school rates, especially Kebbi, Zamfara, and Bauchi.

Statistics show that more than 60 percent of primary school-age children are not in school, with Kebbi at a staggering 64.8 percent. The secondary school numbers are similarly alarming with Bauchi at 66.75 percent Kebbi at 63.8 percent and Jigawa, at 62.6 percent.

Read also: How Nigeria’s 18.3m out-of-school children cripple economy

“The stakes are too high for us to hesitate. The risk posed by each out-of-school child should concern us all, and what we need is a concerted, multi-sectoral approach. The federal, state, local governments, civil society and our partners in the donor community must come together with a singular focus, ensuring that every Nigerian child, regardless of gender or geography, receives quality education.”

Shettima, who noted that “the dignity of the girl-child defines every civilisation, noted that “Today, we are bound by a duty higher than merely observing the challenges before us. We bear the responsibility of setting the tone for this nation, and there is no greater calling than to prioritise the education of the girl child and others. This is a mirror from which we cannot afford to look away because the consequences are dire and far-reaching

“We cannot allow ourselves to be held hostage by these frightening numbers. Now is the time to treat them as an emergency, and the only way forward is to take specific action plans that address the unique needs and barriers in each region.

Shettima, who noted that education financing remains a critical aspect of the strategy, added that there has been a significant increase in education expenditure, in the last few years.

“For example, in 2022 states spent N1 trillion on education, representing 12 percent of total expenditures. By 2024, states committed N2.4 trillion to education, while the federal government allocated N2.2 trillion. This brings the combined total allocation to N4.6 trillion.

“Although states have 14 percent of their budgets dedicated to education, we must aim higher.

Read also: UNICEF wants action against out-of-school children in Nigeria

Our campaign to see 15 to 20 percent of the state budget allocated to education is not just a target, but a necessity as it is the surest way to guarantee the future of our children and our nation.”

Speaking on girl-chid education, Shettima, said while the issue was for every nation, in our part of the world, her vulnerability is especially pronounced.

“Her education is more than a moral obligation. It is the stabilising force of our economic and social order, for every additional year a girl remains in school, her future earning potential increases, infant mortality rates decrease, and poverty levels in communities fail.

“We see this reflected in the gender parity index, which shows that girls have almost caught up with boys at the primary school level with a ratio of 0.99 and even surpassed boys at the secondary school level with a ratio of 1.08.

“These gains are, however, at risk unless we intensify our interventions to reach every girl, particularly in areas where barriers remain strongest. This is why, at the National Economic Council, we have set out to guarantee the future of a girl child, adopting education as one of our critical thematic areas of intervention, alongside health, nutrition and employability in a rapidly changing world.

“We have set the ambitious goal of achieving a 0.6 score on the World Bank’s human capital index, and we understand that the road to this objective involves increasing years of schooling, improving the quality of education and ensuring that no child, especially no girl child, is left vulnerable or out of school.

“While the threats before us are real, so too are opportunities to create significant changes. This gathering points us towards the way forward. We must combine our advocacy and awareness campaigns as championed by the human capital development program, with practical interventions like increasing budgetary allocation to the education sector. Each stakeholder in this ecosystem must collaborate and adopt review mechanisms to ensure that our efforts translate into real progress.

“Whatever reforms we adopt to build a safe space for educating the girl-child must be championed from within our communities. Policymaking involves all of us, and we must engage local leaders, traditional rulers and religious figures to understand the implications of failing to educate the future of this nation.

Tahir Mamman, Minister of Education, in his remarks, said the government was set to announce an approved framework that will ensure it delivers the mandate of quality education for the country.

“From today, you will hear a lot about the framework that will deliver and ensure quality education for young people and education that will also allow them to acquire some skills. This is the new aspect: by the time a child finishes basic education at secondary school, even without going to university, they will have acquired skills that they can connect with society”