News
REVEALED! One In Three Nigerian Children Out Of School, Says UNICEF
The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) has distributed 2,760 solar-powered radio sets to the Katsina State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) but rued the growing out-of-school children population in Nigeria.
UNICEF handed over the radio sets to Katsina SUBEB for students in the security frontline communities to learn lessons.
In his address during a Media Dialogue on Retention, Transition, and Completion (RTC) and Re-entry Guidelines for Adolescent Girls in the State, the Chief of Field, UNICEF Field Office Kano, Rahama Farah, revealed that Nigeria’s education system is faced with the twin crises of a large and growing out-of-school population and severe learning poverty.
According to him, one in three children is out of school in Nigeria, representing 10.2 million at the primary school level and 8.1 million children at the junior secondary level.
“Nigeria’s education system is faced with the twin crises of a large and growing out-of-school population and severe learning poverty,” he said.
“One in three children are out of school (OOS) (10.2 million at primary school level and 8.1 million children at junior secondary level), and according to the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) 2021, three in four children aged 7-14 years cannot read with understanding or solve a simple mathematics problem”.
Farah said that UNICEF, and partners such as the World Bank, the European Union, and the FCDO have collaborated with AGILE and BESDA projects to support Katsina State and governments in the North-West to reprioritise investments in education and to mitigate against the declining state of education in terms of access, participation and quality of learning outcomes.
“We are all here because our education system is in a crisis; a crisis characterised by a high number of out-of-school children, low attendance and participation rates, low transition rates, low completion rates, poor learning outcomes, and low skills acquisition for children at all levels.
These issues characterising the education system are at the backdrop of high insecurity in the North-West and, Katsina and Zamfara states; low financing to education; poorly resourced schools; low teacher competency levels and high pupil-teacher ratio, among others.
“Together, these factors lead to low overall education attainment, hamper social and economic opportunities for young people, and perpetuate intergenerational cycles of poverty and inequality.
“Stalled progress on Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 will affect regional and global development as Nigeria accounts for the largest global (15 per cent) and regional (33 per cent) share of OOS children.
“Education indicators are the lowest for adolescent girls in the North-east and North-West Nigeria, especially children from poor families and those in rural and security-compromised areas.
In 2021 alone, a least 25 schools were attacked, directly impacting 1,446 learners and 24 personnel. Seventy-six percent of the attacks took place in the Northwest.
“Kaduna was the most frequently attacked (8 out of 25 attacks). Katsina (344 learners) followed by Zamfara states (327 learners) reported the highest number of abductees taken in a single abduction.
“As a precautionary measure, in the 2020/21 academic year, over 11,000 schools were closed for four months, significantly disrupting the education of 1.3 million children.
“The OOS phenomenon is fueled by the growing child population placing significant pressure on the delivery of social services. Yet education financing has not kept pace with a burgeoning demand for education and the high fertility rate.
“Nigeria spends 1.2 per cent of GDP on education, far lower than other African countries and notably lower than the international benchmark of four to six per cent.
“Insufficient domestic financing results in a shortfall of 378,000 classrooms and approximately 278,000 teachers.
“This leads to high student-teacher ratios (e.g., 55:1 at the primary level) and additional pressure on teachers whose capacity is already limited, as 50 per cent of basic education teachers lack the Nigerian Certificate in Education (NCE) or the minimum teaching qualification. What is more, in each workday, 20 per cent of primary school teachers are absent.
“Inadequate and unsafe school infrastructure, poor teaching quality, and low learning outcomes are exacerbated by insecurity and school attacks and compounded by staggering poverty and negative social norms on education, particularly for girls.”
He added, “With regards to Katsina state, the number of Out of School Children has been high (536,122 children) but is progressively reducing over the last eight years from 36.9% in 2016 to 35.5% in 2021 (MICS) and a projected 30% by 2024 if commitments to education and investments are sustained.
“Primary school completion rate in Katsina state averages 62.5% compared to the national average of 73.1% and 56.1% for the northwest respectively. Senior Secondary School Completion rates are low, with only 32 percent of children enrolled completing their education (MICS 2021).
“Although it is important to note that Katsina state has a positive gender parity index of 1 at the primary level, meaning there are nearly equal numbers of girls and boys in primary school, the transition rates can be more encouraging than they are no.
“Transition rate to secondary school in Katsina state stands at 69.5 % lower than the national average of 84% and the northwest average of 70% (MICS 2021) with fewer girls transitioning to secondary school than boys.
“Only 9.2% and 13.3 % of children in Grade 3 were able to demonstrate reading and numeracy skills respectively in Katsina state compared to the national average of 26.8 and 25.3 in reading and numeracy skills.
“I would also like to highlight a few initiatives that the Katsina state government in collaboration with UNICEF and other development partners have put in place to respond to the declining status of education in the state, with some notable positive outcomes.
“Increased financing to education: The Katsina state government has this year increased its state budgetary allocation from 28% to 34%. UNICEF urges that this allocation be matched by release and spending.
“Increase in the number of newly recruited teachers. The Katsina state government has recruited an additional 7,325 teachers in the 2023/24 financial year to mitigate the critical shortage of teachers in the state.
“Provided over 100,000 social cash transfers to keep children from the poorest families in school.
“Enrolled over 123,575 learners, boys, and girls, on the Nigeria Learning Passport platform in the last two years, providing access to alternative learning to many children. This represents 11 per cent of total NLP enrolment in Nigeria.
“Created 500 community learning hubs in 10 frontline LGAs, engaged radio stations to broadcast radio learning programmes, and provided solar radios and memory sticks in support of alternative learning solutions.
“Launched a strategy that provides equal opportunities to all children to enroll, participate, transition, and complete school.
“Created an enabling environment for a second chance education for girls through Re-Entry guidelines that provide opportunities for pregnant and married girls to re-enroll and complete their education.
“UNICEF would like to engage the media as equal partners in education development and ensure that every parent, community leader, traditional leader, and religious leader is aware of the government of Katsina and its partners’ priorities, plans, and urgency to ensure every child has an equal opportunity to enroll, participate, transition, and complete their education in a safe and conducive environment,” he noted.
On his part, the Chairman of the School-Based Management Committee, Chiroma Ingawa, expressed gratitude to UNICEF for their support and interventions over the last three years, stating that the organisation helped education in the state across both the primary and secondary schools.
He therefore assured readiness to support and implement any programme brought by UNICEF to Katsina State.
News
BREAKING: Body of UNIZIK Pupil Swept Away by Awka Flood Recovered, Viral ‘Found Alive’ Claim Debunked
The body of Success Ezenwafor, a pupil of Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK) Primary School in Awka, Anambra State, who was swept away by floodwaters, has been recovered, authorities and multiple Nigerian news outlets have reported.
The development came on Wednesday, September 23, a day after the child went missing when a vehicle carrying schoolchildren was overwhelmed by floodwaters along the Awka–Nibo–Nise–Enugwu-Ukwu Ring Road, also known as the Nibo–Isiagu Road.
The incident occurred on Tuesday morning, September 22, following hours of heavy rainfall that triggered flash flooding across parts of Awka. Videos from the scene showed vehicles trapped in rapidly rising water and schoolchildren attempting to escape.
According to the Anambra State Police Command, Safe School Operatives, working alongside local residents, rescued seven schoolchildren and two adults from the affected area. The survivors were taken to hospital for medical attention.
Success, however, remained missing after the rescue operation.
A family member later described the pupil as courageous, saying he reportedly broke a window of the vehicle, creating an escape route that enabled some of the other occupants to get out. Success himself was subsequently swept away by the floodwaters.
Viral ‘Found Alive’ Report Sparks False Hope
On Wednesday, social media users began widely circulating a claim that Success had been found alive beneath debris.
A post shared on X claimed that the boy had been rescued alive from under a large pile of debris and vegetation.
The post was accompanied by emotional video footage showing rescuers pulling a child from beneath rubble, prompting widespread celebration and relief online.
However, reports subsequently indicated that the viral video was unrelated to the Awka flood incident.
The footage reportedly showed another child who survived a separate incident involving a building collapse in Awgu, Enugu State.
The conflicting reports generated confusion among members of the public who had been following the search for Success.
Authorities Confirm Recovery of Body.
The Awka South Local Government chairman, Prince Chinedu Okafor, has since confirmed that Success’s body was recovered.
Okafor reportedly made the confirmation while at Amaku Teaching Hospital, where the rescued children were receiving treatment. TheCable and Independent Newspaper Nigeria also reported the recovery, citing the local government chairman and other sources.
TheCable reported that the boy’s body was recovered during the search operation, while the other children remained in stable condition and were receiving medical care.
The recovery brings an end to the search for the young pupil, but also turns what many had hoped would be a miraculous rescue into a tragic loss for his family and community.
Flooding Raises Fresh Safety Concerns in Anambra
The tragedy has renewed concerns about the dangers posed by flash floods in Anambra, particularly along roads used by schoolchildren, motorists and other commuters.
The Anambra State Government said emergency agencies, including the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the state fire service, mobilised after the school bus became trapped in the flood.
Following the latest flooding incidents, residents have also been urged to avoid crossing flooded roads and waterways and to move to safer areas whenever conditions become dangerous.
For the Ezenwafor family, the recovery of Success’s body ends a desperate search that began after he left for school on Tuesday morning.
The incident has also highlighted the potentially fatal speed and force of flash floods, particularly when vehicles become trapped on flooded roads.
As of the latest reports on Wednesday, September 23, authorities have confirmed the recovery of Success Ezenwafor’s body. The viral claim that he was found alive under debris does not appear to relate to the Awka incident.
Independent
PETROAN said it summoned an emergency meeting with its National Executive Council after the NMDPRA raised the fuel under-dispensing issue.
The Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) has directed its members nationwide to immediately inspect their dispensing meters following concerns raised by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) over under-dispensing of petroleum products at retail outlets.
PETROAN National President, Billy Gillis-Harry, disclosed this on Wednesday during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief programme.
He said the association summoned an emergency meeting with its National Executive Council on Tuesday after the NMDPRA raised the issue, with the meeting lasting until about 10 pm.
“PETRON circulated a message around the country, calling our members to check their meters as quickly as possible,” Gillis-Harry said.
He added that several members had already begun inspecting their equipment, stressing that faulty meters could result in either under-dispensing or over-dispensing.
“Equipment can be faulty over time because of usage,” he said, recalling that he had previously lost money in his own retail business because a faulty meter was dispensing more fuel than customers paid for.
Gillis-Harry assured motorists that PETROAN members would continue to ensure that customers receive the quantity of fuel displayed on the pump.
“But I can tell you that PETRON members will, at all times, insist on making sure that they sell their products one litre for one litre,” he said.
The PETROAN President also urged motorists to pay attention to the quantity displayed on dispensing meters while buying fuel and to request receipts for their purchases.
He explained that customers should know the capacity of their vehicle’s fuel tank and compare it with the quantity displayed on the dispenser.
“Oftentimes, we educate our staff to call the attention of the patron to check the meter while it is being dispensed. And also to get the customer to check after the product has been dispensed,” he said.
According to him, PETROAN also works with the Weights and Measures Division of the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment and the NMDPRA to ensure that dispensing meters remain functional and accurate.
“PETRON consistently works with the Weights and Measures Division of the Ministry of Trade and Investment, and also the NMDPRA. These are the two regulatory authorities that ensure that our meters are functional. And they are up to date and accurate,” he said.
The NMDPRA has warned filling station operators against under-dispensing petroleum products, with outlets found short-changing consumers liable to sanctions, including the revocation of their operating licences.
Gillis-Harry said PETROAN had taken the regulator’s concerns seriously and had begun working with its members to address any possible faults.
“But we took what the NMDPRA called our attention to yesterday very seriously. And we already started working on that,” he said.
Channels
TEHRAN — Millions of Iranian children returned to classrooms on Wednesday as schools across the country reopened after months of disruption linked to the war and security situation in the region.
Parents accompanied their children to school, with girls arriving in uniforms and mandatory headscarves, as the new academic year began in Tehran and other parts of Iran.
The reopening follows months of uncertainty after classes were suspended following the outbreak of the conflict on February 28. One of the deadliest incidents occurred in the southern city of Minab, where a school was struck during the conflict, killing dozens of people, including children.
Iranian officials said the tragedy had cast a shadow over preparations for the new school year, with authorities taking steps to mark the return of students while remembering those killed.
In Minab on Wednesday, Iran’s Vice President for Science and Technology, Hossein Afshin, rang the school bell at a primary school to officially signal the start of the new academic term.
The traditional bell-ringing ceremony is normally associated with the president and forms part of nationwide celebrations welcoming approximately 16.5 million Iranian children back to school.
A separate ceremony featuring President Masoud Pezeshkian was held two days earlier this year, before the Iranian leader travelled to New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly.
The reopening represents a return to normal educational activities after months in which the conflict disrupted daily life and forced schools to close in affected areas.
For many families, however, the first day back to school carries mixed emotions, coming after a period marked by military attacks, deaths and widespread disruption.
The government has sought to maintain the annual school-opening tradition despite the difficult circumstances, while officials have continued to commemorate victims of the conflict.
The new academic year will now see millions of Iranian students resume lessons as authorities attempt to restore regular schooling following the prolonged disruption.
BREAKING: Body of UNIZIK Pupil Swept Away by Awka Flood Recovered, Viral ‘Found Alive’ Claim Debunked
Fuel Under-Dispensing: PETROAN Orders Members To ‘Check’ Meters Nationwide
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