FG to enrol 1m out-of-school children — Minister

The Federal Government says it will reintegrate more than one million out-of-school children into Nigeria’s formal education system under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, made this known on Wednesday at the 69th National Council on Education Summit in Akure, Ondo State.

“The summit’s theme was “Quality Education Data and Professionalisation of Teaching: Tools for Enhanced National Development.”

Alausa said the initiative is being executed in partnership with the National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School Children Education, involving the mapping and documentation of children across 12,600 communities nationwide.

According to him, the programme targets children aged seven to nine, who will be enrolled in low-cost private schools and community training centres.

“So far, over 21,000 out-of-school children have been identified in the Federal Capital Territory and handed over to the FCT Education Secretariat for enrolment,” he said.

The minister added that the government has established 109 functional learning centres and transit schools across the 36 states and the FCT, through which more than 15,000 learners have already been enrolled.

“In fulfilment of our mandate, the ministry constituted a task force comprising the National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School Children Education, the National Commission for Nomadic Education, and the National Commission for Mass Literacy and Non-Formal Education,” Alausa explained.

“With the support of UBEC, the task force mapped out over one million children across 12,600 communities.

“Efforts are ongoing to reintegrate them into schools or training centres, depending on their age and learning needs,” he added.

In his remarks, Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa described education as a key driver of social mobility, unity, and national development.

He noted that Ondo State continues to build on its legacy of educational progress—from the free education policy of the old Western Region to modern investments in digital learning, teacher welfare, and infrastructure.

“Our goal is to make education not just accessible, but meaningful and transformative.

“Every child in Ondo State deserves a fair chance to learn and succeed,” the governor said.

Aiyedatiwa also commended President Tinubu’s education reforms, especially the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, which he said has supported over 624,000 students, helping to bridge the gap between rich and poor children.

In September, the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) began working with UNICEF to develop a national framework to tackle the challenge of out-of-school children.

The ongoing enrolment campaign is part of the Federal Government’s broader effort to ensure that every Nigerian child has access to quality education.