A non-governmental organisation, LA-IRIS Human Development Initiatives, has launched a new platform designed to reintegrate out-of-school children in northern Nigeria into formal education.
The initiative was unveiled on Saturday at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Plateau State. It aims to address the growing number of children excluded from schooling due to insecurity, poverty and cultural constraints.
According to UNICEF’s 2025 report, Nigeria accounts for 15 percent of the world’s out-of-school children, with 7.8 million people urgently requiring humanitarian assistance and 3.7 million internally displaced.
Speaking at the unveiling, the Executive Director of LA-IRIS, Darong Mancha, said the organisation is committed to providing vulnerable children with access to quality education and empowerment opportunities.
“We must recognise that these are not just numbers, but empirical reports requiring urgent action. Today’s event is part of our vision-casting at LA-IRIS Human Development Initiatives to explore how we can complement ongoing humanitarian efforts to ease the suffering of society’s most vulnerable,” he said.
Mancha explained that the new platform will work closely with communities, government agencies, and key stakeholders to identify out-of-school children and support them through both educational and vocational training pathways. He noted that between now and September 2026, the organisation plans to raise scholarships and profile at least 500 vulnerable children across northern Nigeria and beyond.
Delivering the keynote address, renowned cleric Professor Yusuf Turaki—represented by Dr. Yakubu Samuel—called on privileged individuals and institutions to support education for disadvantaged children.
“It is unfortunate that many schools remain closed. Some children are out of school not only due to insecurity, but because they have been told that education is a scam. We must support every child’s education and establish community-based support systems,” he said.
Chairperson of LA-IRIS, Mrs. Juliet Horace-Nwabunweng, reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to collaborating with local stakeholders to expand educational and vocational opportunities for vulnerable children.
A former governorship aspirant in Plateau State, Chris Bature, urged parents and communities to welcome the initiative, stressing that education remains a fundamental right.
The event drew representatives from government agencies, NGOs, traditional institutions, academia, and political groups, all pledging support for the programme. Nigeria continues to grapple with widespread insecurity—including banditry, kidnapping, separatist agitations and communal violence conditions that have deepened the country’s humanitarian crisis and worsened the out-of-school challenge
