By Mika’il Tsoho, Dutse
In a bid to tackle the growing issue of out-of-school children in Nigeria, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has urged immediate action to address the country’s severe teacher shortage.
The organisation warns that without swift intervention, Nigeria’s education sector faces the risk of collapse.
This call to action was made by Michael Banda, Senior Education Manager at UNICEF’s Kano Field Office, during a two-day advocacy dialogue with news and programme managers from radio and television stations in Kano, Jigawa, and Katsina States.
The event was held at the NAERLS Conference Hall, Faculty of Agriculture, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.
Addressing the audience, Banda highlighted the alarming state of Nigeria’s education system, noting that one in three Nigerian children – equating to 10.2 million—are currently out of school.
Citing government reports, he stated that 15% of the world’s out-of-school children are in Africa, and 33% of these are in Nigeria.
Shockingly, 27% of Nigeria’s out-of-school children are concentrated in the North-West, with Kano being one of the worst-affected states.
“Nigeria allocates only 1.2% of its GDP to education, far below the recommended 4-6% outlined by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
In comparison, Egypt and South Africa, which have economies similar in size to Nigeria’s, invest 4.9% and 4.1% of their GDP respectively in education,” Banda remarked.
The shortage of resources in Nigeria’s education system is stark.
Banda revealed that the country is lacking 37,800 classrooms and needs an additional 278,000 teachers to achieve a teacher-to-student ratio of 1:65.
He also pointed out that 70% of students entering Junior Secondary School 1 (JSS1) cannot read, write their names, or solve basic mathematical problems, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
Banda called on media professionals, especially those in broadcast, to raise awareness and advocate for children’s educational needs.
“The media must amplify their voices on issues affecting children to help address these challenges and promote child welfare,” he urged.
UNICEF’s plea highlights the urgent need for investment and reforms in Nigeria’s education system to prevent further deterioration.
