Over 18.5 million children affected as government expands learner tracking, invests billions in teachers, infrastructure and reintegration programmes.

By ifeoma Onyekachi

The Federal Government has ramped up nationwide efforts to address Nigeria’s out-of-school children crisis through data-driven reforms, strengthened collaboration and targeted investments aimed at expanding access to education and improving learning outcomes.

Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, disclosed this at the 2026 Basic Education in Nigeria Bootcamp held in Jos, Plateau State, where he emphasised the central role of credible data in resolving long-standing challenges in the sector.

According to the minister, accurate learner tracking remains critical to tackling gaps in foundational literacy and numeracy.

“Reliable data remains the backbone of effective education reform. Without knowing where the children are and why they are out of school, meaningful solutions cannot be implemented,” he said.

Alausa revealed that the Federal Ministry of Education is expanding the Digital National Education Management Information System (NEMIS) and accelerating the rollout of the Learner Identification Number (LIN) to enable real-time tracking of learners nationwide.

He noted that the 2025/2026 Annual School Census has already captured over two million learners, generating insights to guide policy decisions, improve enrolment strategies and strengthen accountability.

The minister added that nearly one million out-of-school children have been identified and mapped for reintegration into formal schools and alternative learning pathways.

On funding, Alausa disclosed that states accessed over N106 billion in Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) matching grants between January 2025 and January 2026 to strengthen basic education delivery.

He further revealed that N22 billion was invested in teacher professional development, resulting in the training of about 978,000 teachers nationwide.

Infrastructure and learning resources have also received attention, with more than 10,000 classrooms renovated and 7.8 million textbooks distributed to improve learning conditions across the country.

The government is also targeting vulnerable groups through strengthened Almajiri and non-formal education programmes. Alausa said 1,400 Tsangaya teachers have been trained, 119 learning centres identified nationwide and 760 enumerators deployed to enhance community-level education data and planning.

In her remarks, Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Said Ahmad, described the bootcamp as a critical platform for addressing persistent challenges in basic education. She highlighted initiatives such as LUMINA 2030, EduRevamp, Skill-Up and Communities of Practice as key interventions to strengthen curriculum delivery, enhance teacher capacity and expand digital learning.

Also speaking, Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang, represented by Deputy Governor Josephine Piyo, warned that the out-of-school children crisis poses significant social and economic risks, including poverty, insecurity and social exclusion.

He outlined ongoing efforts by the state government to improve access to education through classroom construction and renovation, provision of water facilities and supply of learning materials.

Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, Abel O. Enitan, represented by Dr. Folake Olatunji-Davis, said the bootcamp was designed to move beyond policy discussions to actionable solutions, bringing stakeholders together to identify gaps and develop measurable strategies for reintegrating and retaining out-of-school children.

Delivering the lead paper, education expert Titus Syengo described the situation as a national emergency, noting that about 18.5 million children are currently out of school in Nigeria.

He stressed that Nigeria’s education reforms are critical not only to national development but also to Africa’s broader progress, given the country’s size and influence.

The Federal Ministry of Education reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring inclusive, equitable and quality education for all Nigerian children through sustained investment, credible data systems and coordinated national action.