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… Out-Of-School Population Nears 20 Million
… As Osun, UNICEF Deploy AI And Digital Learning To Avert Looming Skills Crisis
Lagos – Nigeria’s deepening education emergency came into sharp focus on Tuesday as the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) disclosed that only one in every four Nigerian children attending school can read proficiently and perform basic mathematics by the age of 14.
The grim revelation came amid fresh concerns that nearly 20 million Nigerian children are now out of school, placing the country among those with the highest number of out-of-school children globally.
UNICEF raised the alarm in Ede, Osun State, during a two-day Media Dialogue on Digital Learning, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Skills Development for Out-of-School Children, organised in partnership with the Osun State Ministry of Education.
Speaking at the event, Chief of UNICEF’s Lagos Field Office, Celine Lafoucriere, warned that Nigeria risks producing a generation ill-equipped for the demands of an increasingly digital world unless urgent action is taken.
“I want to start with one number: one in four. Of all the children in Nigeria who actually go to school, only one in four can read properly and do basic mathematics at age 14. Just one in four,” she said.
Lafoucriere stressed that the situation is even more alarming because the figure applies only to children already enrolled in school, while millions more remain completely excluded from the education system.
“There are 10 million more who never get to school at all. These are not just numbers in government reports. These are real children growing up without the skills they need to survive, secure jobs, support their families, or contribute meaningfully to the economy,” she added.
She warned that the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence and digital technologies could further widen social and economic inequalities if vulnerable children are not equipped with the skills needed to participate in the emerging digital economy.
“The children who know how to use this technology will have a chance. The ones who don’t will be left behind. Right now, out-of-school children in Nigeria are the ones being left out,” she said.
The UNICEF official noted that girls remain disproportionately affected by the education crisis due to poverty, cultural barriers and social exclusion, while urging the media to sustain advocacy and hold policymakers accountable.
“When journalists keep returning to an important story like this week after week, people begin to pay attention. Policymakers listen, politicians listen. A story that does not go away is a story that gets acted upon,” she said.
Responding to the challenge, the Osun State Government unveiled expanded digital learning and AI-driven educational interventions targeted at out-of-school children and other vulnerable groups.
The Osun State Commissioner for Education, Dipo Eluwole, represented by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Muritala Jimoh, said technology presents a powerful opportunity to bridge learning gaps and improve educational outcomes.
He attributed the out-of-school crisis to poverty, insecurity, migration, socio-economic challenges and cultural barriers, noting that many affected children currently living in Osun migrated from northern Nigeria due to security concerns.
According to him, the state government, working with UNICEF and development partners, has intensified back-to-school campaigns and other interventions aimed at reintegrating vulnerable children into formal education.
Eluwole disclosed that beneficiaries of UNICEF-supported digital learning initiatives are already using AI tools and digital skills to improve their livelihoods and support their families economically.
He also highlighted the impact of the Nigerian Learning Passport programme, which provides digital learning opportunities for children outside the conventional school system.
Earlier, UNICEF Education Specialist, Harold Kpojime, revealed that recent national data suggests Nigeria’s out-of-school population may have climbed to nearly 20 million children.
“One in every three primary school-age children in Nigeria is currently out of school,” he said.
Kpojime identified poverty, insecurity, gender inequality and weak school retention rates as key drivers of the crisis.
“The challenge is not just enrolment; it is retention, transition and completion,” he stressed.
He disclosed that only 54 per cent of Nigerian children complete senior secondary education, warning that the country faces the prospect of a workforce unprepared for a technology-driven global economy.
Also speaking, UNICEF Nigeria Communication Officer, Blessings Ejiofor, said the dialogue was designed to deepen media understanding of the out-of-school children crisis and promote reporting on digital learning, AI and skills development solutions.
She described journalists as critical partners in amplifying the plight of vulnerable children and driving action to improve access to quality education across the country.
The dialogue attracted support from the Federal Ministry of Education, Universal Basic Education Commission, National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School Children Education, state education agencies, development partners and international organisations committed to reversing Nigeria’s worsening education crisis.
