Save the Children International (SCI) is concerned about the rising number of out-of-school children in Nigeria, which is expected to rise from 10.5 million to 18.5 million by 2022.
Its Country Director, Famari Barro, stated in a statement issued Tuesday to commemorate this year’s International Day of Education (IDE), that according to all available records, children constitute a large proportion of the Nigerian population and are the society’s future.
According to the organization, any investment in this segment of the population through prioritizing education would not only propel Nigeria’s economic development, but would also ensure the country’s long-term peace, stability, accelerated growth, and sustainable development.
It stated, “According to UNICEF, the number of out-of-school children has increased from 10.5 million to 18.5 million in 2022 – that means, there are millions of good reasons to step up investment in education.”
SCI noted in 2023 that Nigeria was focusing on improving access to quality inclusive and gender-responsive education for children, adolescents, and people with disabilities.
It went on to say, “Through its education projects, SCI has reached over 1.3 million children (782,642 girls and 517,358 boys) in nine states, namely, Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Katsina, Kaduna, Kano, Jigawa, Cross River, and Benue States.”
SCI went on to say that access to school was not only necessary for children’s well-being and ability to thrive in the present, but it was also required for children to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary for building a life of opportunities.
As a result, the international organization urged the government to provide accessible, inclusive, safe, high-quality, and free primary and secondary education that promotes lifelong learning opportunities for all children in order for them to realize and release their full potential.
