The Federal Government has set an ambitious target to return at least 10 million out of school children to classrooms across the country, as part of renewed efforts to address Nigeria’s deepening education crisis, currently rated the worst in sub Saharan Africa.
The commitment was announced by the Director of Education Planning, Research and Development at the Federal Ministry of Education, Mrs Obianuju Anigbogu, during her keynote address at the Directors of Planning, Research and Statistics (DPRS) Conference, organised by the National Institute for Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA) at its headquarters in Ondo.
The three day conference, with the theme “Planning, Institutional Capacity and Policy Direction as a Panacea for Mitigating Out of School Children Education in Nigeria,”brought together senior officials from ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs), as well as education stakeholders from the six geopolitical zones.
Anigbogu described Nigeria’s out of school children challenge as a national emergency, with over 10 million children currently out of the classroom. She stressed the need for strategic planning, strengthened institutional capacity, and sound policy direction to reverse the trend.
She noted that the ministry, under the leadership of the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, is implementing several interventions including the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative (NESRI) aimed at reintegrating out of school children nationwide.
Anigbogu urged participants to actively contribute to the development of practical and sustainable strategies to tackle the problem.
Before delivering his welcome address, NIEPA’s Acting Director General, Dr David Shofoyeke, led a minute of silence in honour of former President Muhammadu Buhari, who passed away on July 13. He described the late leader as “a stalwart whose legacy in national development will long be remembered.”
In his remarks, Shofoyeke highlighted the importance of the conference in repositioning the country’s education system. He called for a data driven approach to planning, sustained training for education managers, and strengthened institutional structures to align with national priorities and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Responding on behalf of the participants, Director of Planning, Research and Statistics at the Gombe State Teachers’ Service Commission, Mrs Asabe Adamu Malami, commended NIEPA for organising the event. She emphasised the need for collaboration among stakeholders in tackling the out of school crisis, describing it as key to national development.
Malami also urged the Federal Government to support NIEPA’s initiatives and work closely with such platforms to achieve lasting impact.
Speaking to journalists after the opening ceremony, Chairman of the Local Organising Committee (LOC), Dr Opeyemi Oyekan, said the conference aimed to strengthen planning and policy frameworks that would drive solutions to the out of school children challenge.
He noted that participants were drawn from 12 states, with all six geopolitical zones represented, and expressed confidence that the conference would produce actionable outcomes to support education reforms across the country.
