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Over 10 Million School-aged Children In Nigeria Out Of School – UNICEF Laments

Published

2 years ago

July 26, 2023

Editor

… Tasks Journalists To Amplify Voices Of Out-of-school-children

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Bauchi Field Office, has lamented that over 10 million children who are ought to be in school in Nigeria are roaming the streets.

Dr. Tushar Rane, Chief of Field Office UNICEF Nigeria, Bauchi Field Office made the revelation on Wednesday in Misau Local Government Area of the state at a media dialogue on out-of-school children organised by the international NGO.

While calling on journalists to amplify the voices of out-of-school children in the state, he also tasked journalists to use the event to advocate for change.

He further reaffirmed UNICEF’s commitment to ensuring that no child is left behind.

The UNICEF boss, who reiterated that education is a fundamental right that empowers children to reach their full potential, expressed sadness that a significant number of children in Bauchi State were unable to access this fundamental right.

“Education is a fundamental right that empowers children to reach their full potential, it is deeply concerning that, due to varying factors, a significant number of children in Bauchi state are unable to access this fundamental right, robbing them of their dreams and aspirations.”

He added: “Despite the importance of education, at least, over 10 million school-aged children in Nigeria are out of school. This is a major challenge to all of us.

“I encourage us to let the discussions from this media dialogue motivate us, to amplify the voices of out-of-school-children, advocate for change, and to reaffirm our commitment to ensuring that no child is left behind.

“At UNICEF, we are committed to improving the lives of children and women in Nigeria, especially in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and the Education for All goals of educating all children at all levels and in all groups,” he said.

According to him, in the 2023 UNICEF’s enrollment drive campaign, it would be engaging traditional, religious stakeholders, School Based Management Committees, and youths to ensure effective awareness and mobilization of parents, guardians, communities, on the importance of enrolling all school-age children in schools.

Also speaking, An Education Specialist, UNICEF Bauchi Field Office, Abdulrahman Ado, said that Nigeria is contributing 15 percent to the number of out-of-school children in the world and Bauchi state has the highest number of out-of-school children in the North-East.

He also said that according to the data from the Nigeria Education Data Survey report of 2018, Nigeria is unlikely to achieve SDGs 4, adding that Nigeria still maintains the enrollment figures of 1995 of 60 percent.

“In 1995, enrollment was 60 percent, 2001 was 70 percent, 2003-2005 recorded 84.

“However, there was a nose dive in 2007 to 59 percent, in 2011 to 2013, there was an improvement to 79 percent while it sharply fell in 2015-2017 to 61 percent and the recent data of 2018 is exactly what Nigeria recorded in 1995,” he said.

Ado further highlighted some of the factors contributing to the menace of out-of-school children in the country to economic recession, funding, insecurities, lack of equity, changes in national and state-level administration as well as lack of sustainability in activities when development partners withdraw.

News

IPOB Rejects FG’s Ranching Proposal, Says It’s ‘Land Grabbing’

Published

24 minutes ago

June 25, 2025

Editor

The Indigenous People of Biafra, has condemned the announcement by President Bola Tinubu, proposing the establishment of cattle ranches in Abuja, the ancestral homeland of the Gbagi people and other states across the country.

The pro-Biafran group said the move is nothing but Ruga repackaged and a sinister land-grabbing strategy cloaked in government policy.

In a press statement released on Tuesday, IPOB spokesman, Emma Powerful, said it is a shame that in the 21st century, the Federal Government is prioritising cow colonies over education, security, and innovation.

Powerful said what began as the “need for grazing” centuries ago led to the total subjugation of proud territories, adding, “the rise of alien emirates, and the transformation of indigenous owners of the land into strangers in their ancestral homes. Abuja is about to witness the same fate if this madness is not stopped.”

The statement read in part, “President Tinubu unaware that no sensible country in the world keeps cattle around its capital city?

“Let him point to any major city—from Nairobi to New Delhi, São Paulo to Seoul—where cattle are granted permanent settlements around central governance zones.

“This absurdity is uniquely Nigerian, and disgracefully so.”

While saying that the land around Abuja belongs to the Gbagi people, Powerful said, “To dispossess them by executive fiat is an unforgivable act of aggression and cultural genocide.”

He added, “Today, the Gbagi are being pushed to the margins; tomorrow, there will be an Emir of Abuja. And in 60 years—just like what befell the Hausas—the Gbagi will be footnotes in history, reduced to relics of their own heritage.

“Let it be known that IPOB shall resist any attempt—direct or indirect—to impose this toxic expansionist agenda anywhere in Biafraland. No inch of our territory will be given for herder settlements, cattle corridors, or so-called ranching. Our forests, our villages, our farmlands are sacred to us—not bargaining chips in a federal contract of death.

“Let them be transported by rail, just as is done in civilised societies. That’s how a serious nation handles its livestock economy—not by slaughtering indigenous peoples and seizing their homes under the guise of ranching.”

According to him, no progressive nation erects ranches next to homes, schools, and marketplaces. The fact that this administration cannot comprehend this basic logic is a reflection of its failure, not ours.

“IPOB stands with the Gbagi people and every other indigenous nationality facing existential threats from Fulani neo-colonial conquest dressed up as national policy. Our diversity must be respected, our cultures preserved, and our ancestral lands protected. Let the killings in the name of cows stop. Let the bloodletting cease. Let Nigeria choose reason over ruin,” the statement added.

News

MultiChoice Cuts DStv Decoder Price By 50% To Attract Subscribers

Published

39 minutes ago

June 25, 2025

Editor

MultiChoice Nigeria has slashed the price of its DStv decoder by 50 per cent, dropping it from ₦20,000 to ₦10,000.

The company announced that the move aimed to attract more customers and curb declining subscriptions.

According to the firm’s Chief Executive Officer, John Ugbe, in a statement released on Tuesday, the offer was a way of rewarding customer loyalty and delivering enhanced value to subscribers.

“We want to ensure our customers feel appreciated and have access to the best entertainment every day. The ‘We Got You’ campaign is about making premium content more accessible and showing that DStv offers something for everyone, not just football fans.

“By repositioning itself as a platform for daily value, DStv aims to encourage content discovery across a wider array of genres, including movies, drama, kids’ programming, and news.

“This means more channels, more shows, and more reasons to tune in every day,” the statement added.

The company also announced a promotional offer granting subscribers a free upgrade to the next DStv package tier when they pay for their current plan in full between June 16 and July 31, 2025.

Multichoice maintained the price slash, and the free upgrade initiative is a response “to the noticeable economic impact on the everyday lives of Nigerians.”

This was coming after it lost 1.4 million subscribers between March 2023 and March 2025.

Recall that MultiChoice Nigeria increased its DStv and GOtv bouquet prices three times within 12 months — first in April 2023, followed by another hike in November 2023, and a third announced in April 2024, which took effect on May 1.

News

Tobacco Kills 1.3 Million Non-smokers Yearly — WHO

Published

54 minutes ago

June 25, 2025

Editor

Around 1.3 million people die from second-hand smoke every year, according to a World Health Organisation report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic 2025.

The report released at the World Conference on Tobacco Control in Dublin warned that action is needed to maintain and accelerate progress in tobacco control as rising industry interference challenges tobacco policies and control efforts.

The report focuses on the six proven WHO MPOWER tobacco control measures to reduce tobacco use, which claims over seven million lives a year.

The WHO MPOWER encompasses, “Monitoring tobacco use and prevention policies; protecting people from tobacco smoke with smoke-free air legislation and offering help to quit tobacco use.”

It also ensures “Warning about the dangers of tobacco with pack labels and mass media, enforcing bans on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship; and raising taxes on tobacco.”

The report read, “Around 1.3 million people die from second-hand smoke every year. Today, 79 countries have implemented comprehensive smoke-free environments, covering one-third of the world’s population.

“Since 2022, six additional countries (Cook Islands, Indonesia, Malaysia, Sierra Leone, Slovenia and Uzbekistan) have adopted strong smoke-free laws, despite industry resistance, particularly in hospitality venues.”

It said since 2007, 155 countries have implemented at least one of the WHO MPOWER tobacco control measures to reduce tobacco use at the best-practice level.

“Today, over 6.1 billion people, three-quarters of the world’s population, are protected by at least one such policy, compared to just one billion in 2007.

“Four countries have implemented the full MPOWER package: Brazil, Mauritius, the Netherlands (Kingdom of the), and Türkiye.

“Seven countries are just one measure away from achieving the full implementation of the MPOWER package, signifying the highest level of tobacco control, including Ethiopia, Ireland, Jordan, Mexico, New Zealand, Slovenia and Spain,” it noted.

However, there are major gaps as 40 countries still have no MPOWER measure at the best-practice level and more than 30 countries allow cigarette sales without mandatory health warnings.

“Twenty years since the adoption of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, we have many successes to celebrate, but the tobacco industry continues to evolve and so must we,” the WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, said.