United Nations Children’s Fund ( UNICEF ) has said that 69 percent of out-of-school children in Nigeria are in the North.
The organisation, quoting the latest Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS) data, said the North East had the largest number of out-of-school children followed by the North West.
Nigeria, according to the Universal Basic Education Commission and Federal Ministry of Education’s Demographic Health Survey (DHS), currently has 13.2million children out of school.
UNICEF Education Specialist, Azuka Menkiti, said this at a two-day media dialogue in Kano to promote equity in education for children.
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The event was organised by the Child Right Information Bureau (CRIB) of the Federal Ministry of Information And Culture in collaboration with UNICEF.
She urged both state and the Federal Government to raise budgetary allocation and ensure the release and utilisation of the funds in order to reduce the large number of out –of school children in the country.
Menkiti said within the huge number of out-of-school children in the country that girls are in the majority especially in northern Nigeria.
She said: “The latest Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS) data shows that of the 11.5 million children out of school in Nigeria, million or 69 percent are in northern states. North east has the largest number of out-of-school children followed by the North West.
“With this number, Nigeria accounts for more than one in five out-of-school child globally, and 45 percent of out-of-school children in West Africa. Within the huge number of out-of-school children, girls are in the majority especially in northern Nigeria.
“The recent security threats to schools in the north east as well as other parts of Nigeria has contributed significantly to the low demand for and access to education especially for girls.
“The reality is that children are missing education in Nigeria and a lot of them are coming from northern Nigeria and that is why our interventions are needed more in this region.
“Everybody is worried about the huge figures of number of out-of-schools in Nigeria. Insurgency in the north eastern Nigeria has been especially damaging to the education system.
“Budgetary allocation is the not the problem. But will they release that money? There are some states that when they allocate 15 percent to education they won’t release a kobo.”
UNICEF added that it was important for governments at all levels to put interventions in place to ensure all children go to school in order to facilitate national growth and development.
Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said that Nigeria’s future depended on producing children who are prepared to take their place in tomorrow’s society.
Mr. Mohammed, who was represented by the Head, CRIB, Olumide Osanyinpeju, added that investing in education and protection of the most disadvantaged, especially children and addressing inequality would ensure sustained growth and stability of any nation.
The minister said: “Unfortunately, a large number of Nigerian children are at risk of deprivations of basic social amenities. They are situated in the rural and hard-to-reach communities. Majority of them are also living in conflict and communities under emergencies and it has been difficult taking basic amenities to them.
“Government have come to the realisation that basic education is essential for every child. Lack of access to this basic service is an infringement on the rights of the child.
“There is a growing evidence that investing in education and protection of the most disadvantaged/vulnerable citizens, in this case, children and addressing inequality will ensure sustained growth and stability of any nation.
“There is need to integrate children, especially those in difficult terrain and other excluded children and focus on equitable distribution of opportunities now, as it is a giant stride towards the realisation of human rights of children.”
Also, an Education and Development Consultant for UNICEF, Dayo Ogundimu, said there was a looming calamity in the country if the government continued to provide poor quality education and inequity in education.
He said: “There is a calamity looming in this country if we continue to provide poor quality education and inequity in education. Every society that realizes the importance of education will not toy with the future of the children.
“Every child, male or female, desire to have good and quality education so that we can achieve our goals as a nation.
“We cannot afford to leave anybody behind no matter the circumstances they find themselves.”