14/09/2026
The Problem Behind the Number: When a Child Is Out of School, Nigeria Loses More Than a Student
‎A child being out of school is not just an education problem. It is an economic problem.
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‎18.3 MILLION
‎Nigerian children are out of school.
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‎10.2 million are of primary-school age, while 8.1 million are of junior-secondary-school age.
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‎But behind these statistic is a child.
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‎A child who should be learning to read.
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‎A child who should be discovering their abilities.
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‎A child who should be building the knowledge and confidence required to participate meaningfully in society.
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‎When we hear a number as large as 18.5 million, it is easy to become desensitised.
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‎Numbers can feel distant. Abstract.
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‎So, let us make the number personal.
‎18.5 million children means millions of individual futures potentially being shaped by circumstances they did not choose.
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‎To be continued...
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Source: UNICEF Nigeria, 2024/2026 education data.