72% of pupils in Borno, Yobe, Adamawa can’t read after primary school — UNICEF

As Nigeria celebrated Children’s Day 2025, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has raised grave concerns over the state of children’s welfare in the North-East, revealing that 72 percent of primary school graduates in Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa states are unable to read simple text.

At a press conference held in Maiduguri on Tuesday, Joseph Senesie, Chief of UNICEF’s Maiduguri Field Office, described the situation as dire.

He emphasized that millions of children across the region remain deprived of their most basic rights — including access to education, healthcare, and protection.

“Millions of children in Nigeria’s northeast are still out of school, with an estimated 2 million not receiving any form of education,” Senesie said.

“Additionally, 12 local government areas in Borno and Yobe report alarmingly high numbers of unvaccinated children, leaving them vulnerable to life-threatening but preventable diseases.”

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Senesie painted a bleak picture of children’s lives in the region, calling them Nigeria’s “most neglected yet most invaluable resource.”

He stressed that most children lack legal identity, as only three out of every ten children in the three states have their births officially registered — a statistic that prevents access to key services.

“Our children are our future,” he stated, referencing the 2025 Children’s Day theme, ‘Tapping the Untapped Natural Treasure’.

“Yet far too many remain invisible, unprotected, and underserved. Are we truly unlocking their potential, or allowing systemic neglect to rob them of their future?”

Despite these concerns, Senesie acknowledged progress made by state governments in recent years.

He commended efforts such as the implementation of the Child Protection Law, the declaration of five local governments as open defecation-free, and Borno State’s N100 million contribution to the Child Nutrition Fund.

He also highlighted the establishment of 27 Local Government Committees on Food and Nutrition as a step in the right direction.

“These milestones reflect commendable leadership and political will,” he said. “But they are just the beginning.

The gaps in nutrition, immunisation, sanitation, child protection, and education remain wide — and urgent.”

Reaffirming UNICEF’s dedication to addressing these issues, Senesie disclosed that in 2024 alone, nearly 600,000 children in the northeast were treated for severe acute malnutrition, 2.48 million children under five received vitamin A supplements, and 1.2 million were immunised with the pentavalent vaccine.

He also expressed gratitude to UNICEF’s global partners — including BMZ (Germany), the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA), the European Union, Norway, Canada, the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), and Education Cannot Wait (ECW) — for their continued support.

Calling on all stakeholders — from government bodies to civil society organisations and the media — Senesie urged collective action to change the trajectory for children in the region.

“To the media, you are not just observers,” he said. “You are advocates, guardians, and change agents. Let us raise our voices for the millions of children who have none.”