The Federal Ministry of Education has reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring that at least 10 million out-of-school children across Nigeria are reintegrated into the classroom.
This assurance came from the Director of Education Planning, Research and Development (DPRD) at the Ministry, Mrs. Obianuju Anigbogu, while delivering a keynote address virtually during a pivotal conference hosted by the National Institute for Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA) in Ondo State. The three-day conference, themed “Planning, Institutional Capacity and Policy Direction as a Panacea for Mitigating Out-of-School Children Education in Nigeria,” brought together Directors, Deputy Directors, Assistant Directors, and key education stakeholders from across the six geopolitical zones.
Speaking on the urgency of the situation, Mrs. Anigbogu stated that with over 10 million children currently out of school—the highest figure in sub-Saharan Africa—there is a critical need for strategic planning, institutional capacity strengthening, and clear policy direction. She noted that under the leadership of the Honourable Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, the Ministry is pursuing transformative initiatives, including the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative (NESRI), to combat the crisis. She called on all participants to fully engage in the conference’s deliberations to collectively develop solutions and officially declared the event open.
Before delivering his welcome address, NIEPA’s Acting Director-General, Dr. David Shofoyeke, led participants in a one-minute silence in honor of the late former President Muhammadu Buhari, who passed away on July 13, 2025. Dr. Shofoyeke described the former president as a stalwart leader whose contributions to Nigeria’s development will forever be remembered. In his remarks, he highlighted the relevance of the conference in reshaping the nation’s educational landscape and emphasized the importance of strategic planning, data-driven policies, and ongoing capacity building for education planners and managers.
Speaking on behalf of participants, Mrs. Asabe Adamu Malami, Director of Planning, Research, and Statistics for Gombe State Teachers Service Commission, commended NIEPA for organizing the conference and emphasized the need for collaboration in addressing the out-of-school children crisis. She expressed the expectation that the conference would yield practical strategies and foster stronger partnerships to help mitigate the challenge and support NIEPA’s ongoing efforts. She also urged the Federal Government to align with such initiatives in order to achieve sustainable progress.
In a chat with journalists, the Chairman of the Local Organizing Committee, Dr. Opeyemi Oyekan, reiterated that the conference aimed to enhance planning and policy direction for tackling the out-of-school children crisis. He noted that participants from all six geopolitical zones were in attendance, working together to explore the pressing issues affecting education and national development.
At the end of the conference, a communique was issued highlighting the grave implications of Nigeria’s high number of out-of-school children. It noted that limited access to education in hard-to-reach areas, incoherent policies, inadequate funding, insecurity in schools, and weak stakeholder engagement were among the major obstacles that must be urgently addressed. The communique recommended deeper engagement with key actors like State Commissioners of Education, increased support for school feeding programmes, and measures to make rural schools safer and more accessible. Stakeholders concluded that only with coordinated efforts, robust planning, and sustained investment in education can Nigeria begin to reverse the out-of-school children trend and secure a more inclusive and progressive future.
