Alarmed by the deepening education crisis in Nigeria, the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), in collaboration with the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) and education technology partner NewGlobe, has issued a rallying call for sweeping reforms to tackle learning poverty and reduce the surging number of out-of-school children.
At a high-level workshop held Thursday in Abuja, state governors, education experts, and development partners described the situation as a national emergency, warning that Nigeria’s future hinges on its ability to ensure foundational learning for every child.
“The crisis is not just about access. It’s about what happens when children get to school—and far too often, the answer is: very little,” said Kwara State Governor and NGF Chairman AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, in remarks delivered by the Forum’s Education Advisor, Leo The Great.
AbdulRazaq lamented that millions of children in Nigerian classrooms remain unable to read or solve basic arithmetic, while many others are excluded from school altogether. He cited new data indicating that up to 66 per cent of primary school-age children are either out of school or not acquiring the basic skills necessary for learning progression.
“Foundational skills—literacy, numeracy, and socio-emotional learning—are the building blocks of the entire education system. Without them, we are setting our children up for failure,” he said.
Despite increased school enrolment, participants said a significant number of Nigerian children are effectively being left behind, with structural issues in the education system—ranging from teacher shortages to lack of materials and weak monitoring—undermining progress.
The NGF also flagged deep-rooted institutional weaknesses, including insufficient funding, undervalued educators, and an absence of effective training and teaching tools, particularly in rural communities. “Even those in school are learning far less than they should. This is the crux of the crisis,” AbdulRazaq added.
UBEC’s Executive Secretary, Aisha Garba—represented by Deputy Secretary, Technical, Rasaq Akinyemi—stressed that while there had been incremental gains, political and systemic barriers continued to stifle the country’s education outcomes.
“This is a crisis of national significance. Millions of Nigerian children are out of school. Many of their parents lack formal education, further entrenching cycles of poverty and exclusion,” she said.
Garba highlighted ongoing World Bank-supported efforts aimed at addressing foundational learning gaps and called for stronger coordination across federal and state governments to deliver measurable change.
NewGlobe’s Vice President for Policy and Partnerships, Ifeyinwa Ugochukwu, was more direct: “In too many schools, children are not learning. Primary 6 pupils cannot read or add numbers. That is not just a learning gap—it’s a learning chasm.”
She argued that real-time data, digitally supported classrooms, and empowered teachers are essential to reversing the crisis, calling for a data-driven overhaul of the sector.
“If a child cannot read by the age of 10, they are four times more likely to drop out. That dropout is a gateway to crime, unemployment, and generational poverty,” she warned. “We are not facing a marginal concern. This is a system-wide emergency. We must act now.”
The workshop concluded with calls for tighter collaboration between state governments, non-state actors, and development agencies to implement evidence-based reforms and ensure every Nigerian child has the opportunity to learn—and thrive.
