The Federal Government has revealed that Nigeria will require about $345 million annually to reintegrate its estimated 15 million out-of-school children and equip them with essential life and vocational skills.
Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, disclosed this on Tuesday during the maiden Federal Ministry of Education Private Sector Breakfast Convening held in Lagos.
He explained that the figure represents the estimated per-child cost needed to effectively confront the country’s growing education challenges.
“We estimate that Nigeria needs about $345 million every year to adequately bring these children back into the education system and provide them with the skills they need to thrive,” Alausa said.
The minister expressed concern over the persistently high number of out-of-school children nationwide, noting that nearly one in four children between the ages of 5 and 14 are currently not in school.
“This is not just a statistic; it is a national emergency that requires urgent, collective action from both the public and private sectors,” he added.
Alausa further highlighted that the crisis is more severe in the North-East and North-West regions, where the proportion of out-of-school children rises to over two-fifths.
“In some parts of the North-East and North-West, the numbers are deeply troubling. This calls for targeted interventions and increased investment to close the gap,” he said.
He stressed the importance of collaboration with private sector stakeholders to mobilise resources and drive sustainable solutions to the country’s education crisis.