As Nigeria commemorates Children’s Day, a wave of concern has swept across the nation over the rising number of out-of-school children, with experts and stakeholders sounding the alarm about its long-term implications for national development. According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Nigeria currently has over 18.3 million children out of school a figure described by experts as a looming crisis.
Academic and civil society leaders, education unions, lawmakers, and former government officials have united in their call for immediate, strategic intervention to address what they describe as an “educational emergency.”
Prof. Lai Olurode, a sociologist, labelled the situation as a threat to national security and prosperity. He urged a return to policies that made education free and compulsory, emphasizing the importance of improving teacher welfare and school infrastructure. “Fixing broken classrooms and supporting families who rely on their children’s street earnings are critical to reversing this trend,” he said.
Raji Oladimeji, Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Teachers in Oyo State, emphasized community-driven awareness and inclusive curriculum reform. He called for culturally relevant teaching methods and improved access to education through free materials, feeding programs, and digital platforms to reach underserved areas.
Echoing these sentiments, former NLC Chairman in Oyo, Waheed Olojede, blamed policy inertia and weak implementation for the crisis. He proposed sweeping reforms aimed at functional literacy and self-reliance, including stricter enforcement against parents who keep children out of school.
Similarly, Ibukunoluwa Otesile, Executive Director of the Hope For Second Chance Foundation, warned that Nigeria risks failing an entire generation. She stressed the need for multi-sectoral collaboration involving civil society, government, religious groups, and the private sector. “Every out-of-school child represents unrealized potential. This is not just an education issue it’s a national emergency,” she said.
In the legislative space, Hon. Oluwafemi Adebayo, Vice Chair of the Basic Education Committee in the Oyo State House of Assembly, advocated for mobile learning hubs in urban areas. “Offering free meals after basic lessons could encourage school attendance among street children,” he proposed, linking hunger and poverty to low enrollment.
Former education official Dr. Tunde Odekunle pushed for dedicated state task forces and mass sensitization campaigns to get children back into classrooms. He urged state governments to intensify grassroots engagement and rapidly integrate out-of-school children into public education.
As the nation celebrates Children’s Day, the consensus from stakeholders is clear: without urgent, collective action, the education gap may spiral into a generational disaster. Their call? Not just to celebrate children but to act in their best interest.
