When former President Olusegun Obasanjo revealed last week that 24 million Nigerian children are out of school, it wasn’t just another political soundbite — it was a national emergency hiding in plain sight. The number, he said, represents about 10 per cent of the country’s population, and if ignored, could become a “recruitment base for future Boko Haram.”
The statement may sound dramatic, but it reflects a terrifying truth. Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, is quietly raising a generation excluded from the most basic tool for survival — education. These millions of children, scattered across villages, slums, and displacement camps, have become the human cost of decades of neglect, corruption, insecurity, and broken promises.
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From Hope to Decline: A History of Missed Opportunities
Nigeria’s struggle with mass illiteracy isn’t new. In 1976, Obasanjo — then a military ruler — launched the Universal Primary Education (UPE) scheme to give every child access to basic schooling. The programme began with enthusiasm, but soon crumbled under poor planning, weak funding, and a lack of infrastructure.
When Obasanjo returned as a civilian president in 1999, he tried again, this time with the Universal Basic Education (UBE) Act, which guaranteed nine years of free schooling. It was an ambitious plan that made it a crime to deny any child access to education. But while the law looked good on paper, political commitment remained shallow.
By 2005, government data showed that nearly half of Nigeria’s 42 million school-age children were not enrolled in school. Successive administrations — federal and state — promised reform, yet the numbers kept rising.
The 2016–2019 Ministerial Strategic Plan (MSP) tried to revive hope, aiming to reduce illiteracy and attract millions of children to school. But like most policy documents, it died quietly. There was no proper funding, little coordination, and zero accountability. Meanwhile, millions of children slipped through the cracks — some into street hawking, others into child labour, and far too many into early marriage or insurgent recruitment networks.
Today’s Reality: A Crisis of Leadership and Values
Now, in 2025, Nigeria finds itself with the highest number of out-of-school children in the world — 24 million and counting. These children are not just missing out on lessons; they are missing out on life chances. Many live in the northern states, where insecurity, poverty, and cultural barriers combine to keep children out of the classroom. In conflict-affected zones such as Borno, Zamfara, and Kaduna, entire schools have been shut down for years because of fear of attacks.
Teachers, the backbone of any education system, are demoralised and underpaid. Many classrooms are overcrowded or collapsing. Basic facilities like toilets, books, and desks are missing. It’s not uncommon to find schools where pupils sit on bare floors or share tattered notebooks.
The government’s response has been painfully slow. Politicians mention education during campaigns but rarely treat it as a national emergency. While millions of naira disappear into poorly monitored budgets, children remain on the streets — begging, hawking, or simply idle.
The implications are dire. Economists warn that a country that neglects its youth population is building a time bomb. Social inequality deepens, insecurity spreads, and the economy suffers as uneducated citizens struggle to find meaningful work. As Obasanjo warned, “When 24 million children are out of school, the future is already compromised.”
A Call for Urgent Action
To confront this crisis, Nigeria must act decisively. Experts say the first step is to declare a National Education Emergency — a coordinated effort involving the federal, state, and local governments, civil society, and international partners. This would ensure education receives the same urgency as a health outbreak or a national disaster.
Budgetary priorities must also shift. Nigeria spends less than the UNESCO-recommended 15–20% of its annual budget on education. Funds must be directed toward teacher recruitment and training, modern classrooms, and incentives for poor families to keep their children in school.
Technology could play a game-changing role. In rural areas where schools are distant or unsafe, mobile learning centres and digital education tools can bridge the gap. Community leaders and religious groups should also be mobilised to encourage parents — especially in conservative northern communities — to see education as a shared responsibility, not a Western imposition.
Finally, there must be transparency and accountability. Education data should be publicly accessible, allowing citizens to track enrolment rates, budget usage, and school performance. Civil society and the media must continue to pressure government at all levels to keep education reform at the centre of the national conversation.
Saving the Future Starts Now
Nigeria’s 24 million out-of-school children are not just statistics. They are potential doctors, teachers, engineers, and entrepreneurs — or, if neglected, tomorrow’s militants, kidnappers, and victims. The difference between the two outcomes lies in the country’s choices today.
Education is more than literacy; it is a lifeline for stability and progress. No nation can build a prosperous future on the foundation of ignorance. The real danger is not just that Nigeria’s schools are failing — it’s that the nation is growing comfortable with the failure.
The question now is not whether the problem is known, but whether there is the political will to fix it. Each year that passes without bold intervention means millions more lost futures — and a deeper national crisis.
If Nigeria is to have any meaningful future, it must begin by bringing every child back to the classroom. Because the real “24 million reasons to fear the future” are not statistics — they are the faces of children waiting for a nation that has forgotten them.
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