Nigeria’s education crisis deepened this week as the federal government admitted that about 15 million children remain out of school—an alarming figure many experts believe is still understated.
Speaking at a national education bootcamp, Education Minister Maruf Tunji Alausa outlined ongoing reforms, including expanded data tracking systems and increased funding through UBEC. Yet despite billions spent, including over N106 billion in grants and massive teacher training programmes, the crisis persists at scale.
Independent experts like Titus Syengo estimate the real number could be closer to 18.5 million, raising fresh concerns about the reliability of government data and the effectiveness of its interventions.
Officials insist progress is being made—citing renovated classrooms, distributed textbooks, and learner tracking systems—but critics argue these efforts have yet to translate into meaningful change on the ground. Structural issues such as poverty, insecurity, and weak policy implementation remain largely unresolved.
For many Nigerians, the government’s repeated “alarm” over out-of-school children now rings hollow. Without urgent, measurable outcomes, the country risks raising yet another generation locked out of education—and opportunity.
