Bauchi State has the Highest Number of Out-of-School Children in Northeast Nigeria", "category": "

Bauchi, Bauchi state - Abdulrahman Ado, an education specialist at the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Bauchi Field Office, has revealed a concerning statistic about the number of out-of-school children in Nigeria. According to Ado, Nigeria contributes about 15 percent to the global number of out-of-school children, with Bauchi state alone having the highest number in the northeast region.

This information was obtained from a 2018 Nigeria Education Data Survey (NEDS) report, which indicates that Nigeria is unlikely to achieve Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs 4. It also reveals that the country's enrollment figures have stagnated at 60 percent since 1995.

The enrollment percentages have fluctuated over the years, showing some improvement in certain periods but overall maintaining a low level of school enrollment. Factors contributing to this problem, as highlighted by Ado, include insecurity, funding challenges, economic recession, imbalances, changes in administration, and lack of sustainability in development activities when partners withdraw their support.

Highlighting the gender disparity within the out-of-school children population, Mohammed Farah, chief of the UNICEF field office in Kano, emphasized that 60 percent of the approximately 18.5 million out-of-school children in Nigeria are girls. Farah stressed the importance of education as a fundamental human right that every child, especially girls, should have access to.

The issue of low-quality education in certain areas of Nigeria, such as Ajegunle in Lagos state, was also addressed. A local NGO is providing free ICT training to young children in Ajegunle to enhance their computer literacy skills. The story of Grace Chinenye Nkwocha, who was deeply moved by the struggles of these children to control a computer mouse in the 21st century, demonstrates the urgent need to improve educational resources and opportunities.

Addressing the alarming number of out-of-school children in Bauchi state, as well as in Nigeria as a whole, is crucial for the country to progress towards achieving sustainable development goals and ensuring equal access to education for all children. Efforts to tackle the factors contributing to this issue, including addressing insecurity, improving funding, and promoting gender equality in education, are essential to create a brighter future for the young generation.

Source of content: OOO News 2023-07-29 News

More detailed, more comprehensive, fresher news, please visit OOO NEWS.