The Challenge
One in every five of the world’s out-of-school children is in Nigeria (UNICEF)

With the fact that the majority of primary education is free and compulsory, almost 10.5 million of the country’s children between the ages of 5-14 years are either dropouts or have never been in a school. Just about 61% of children between the ages of 6-11 regularly attend primary school and only 35.6% of children between the ages of 3-5 receive education early in their lives. (Statista)

In Northern-Nigeria, the case is much worse and pathetic with an attendance rate of 53% with many of them getting out-of-school.

There are various factors that contribute to the detrimental state of education in Nigeria. Some of which are: gender, geographical location and earning power and age. These are important factors that contribute to the marginalisation of education. States in the north-east and north-west have female primary net attendance rates of 47.7% and 47.3%, respectively, meaning that over half of the girls are out-of-school. The education deprivation in northern Nigeria is driven by various factors, including economic barriers and socio-cultural norms and practices that discourage attendance in formal education, especially for girls.

Ensuring educational provision in predominantly rural areas and the impact of insurgency in the northeast present significant challenges. In north-eastern and north-western states, 29 percent and 35 percent of Muslim children, respectively, receive Qur’anic education, which does not include basic skills such as literacy and numeracy. The government considers children attending such schools to be officially out-of-school.

In the north-eastern part of Nigeria, over 2.5 million children are in need of education-in- emergencies support in three insurgent-bound states (Borno, Yobe, Adamawa). In these States, at least 802 schools remain closed and 497 classrooms are listed as destroyed, with another 1,392 damaged but repairable, especially in Borno where almost 200 girls were kidnapped in a small town, Chibok.

The Solution
UNICEF's education programme aims to aid the Nigerian government in achieving SDG 4 by 2030 through improved planning and by addressing key strategic barriers that hinder the implementation of effective education in the country.

It is proposed by UNICEF that this work will be achieved by creating an enabling environment for education, improving the quality of education, increasing demand for education, and humanitarian assistance, including through ensuring:
● The education system at federal and state levels has strengthened capacities to deliver quality basic education.
● More teachers have core knowledge and competencies to use proven teaching methodologies to deliver appropriate quality education.
● Parents and communities have improved knowledge and commitment to contribute to enrolling children at the right age in quality learning in safe and protective school environments.
● Children in humanitarian situations have timely and sustained access to quality education services.