President Tinubu To Mop Up Over 20 Million Out-of-School Children, Upgrade Educational Standard

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the Federal Ministry of Education to develop a strategy to bring over 20 million out-of-school children back to classes. This move is part of Tinubu’s commitment to improving Nigeria’s educational standards and addressing the significant number of children not currently receiving formal education.

The announcement was made by the Minister of State for Education, Dr. Yusuf Tanko Sununu, during the groundbreaking ceremony for new National Examinations Council (NECO) offices in Nasarawa State. The initiative will utilize the DOTS project, which stands for Data Repository, Out-of-School Children Education, Teacher Training and Development, and Skill Development and Acquisition. This project aims to establish a data-driven approach to monitor and address issues related to out-of-school children.

The DOTS project will enable the federal government to collect and analyze data on school enrollment, retention, and progression from kindergarten through university. This information will help in planning and implementing effective interventions to ensure that children return to school and receive quality education.

Addressing the out-of-school children crisis is a key element of President Tinubu’s eight-point agenda, which prioritizes social welfare, health, and education. The president believes that reintegrating these children into the education system is crucial for Nigeria’s development and stability, preventing them from being exploited by criminal elements.

Despite this push, challenges remain. Many states have not accessed the funds available from the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) due to bureaucratic delays and other issues. Human rights activist Femi Falana has highlighted the failure of states to utilize over N68 billion in matching grants from UBEC, which could support educational projects across the country.

Additionally, UNICEF is working on developing a sustainable model to address the out-of-school children issue, with plans to significantly improve access to education and foundational literacy and numeracy by 2027. This model will also aim to provide learning materials and improve the adequacy, efficiency, and equity of education financing in various states.