The Federal government has actually announced plans to carry out an across the country household survey to acquire upgraded and more precise information on the number of out-of-school kids in Nigeria.
Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, divulged this on Wednesday at the 2026 Yearly Education Summit organised by the Education Correspondents Association of Nigeria (ECAN) in Abuja.
He described that the exercise would be undertaken in collaboration with the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) to produce credible information that will support education planning, policymaking and targeted interventions.
According to the minister, the figures currently used to estimate Nigeria’s out-of-school population no longer effectively show the scenario on the ground, making it essential to conduct an extensive evaluation.
He said the prepared family study would offer government with a clearer understanding of the scale and distribution of the obstacle, making it possible for authorities to establish more reliable strategies for enhancing school enrolment and retention.
Alausa noted that although government interventions have assisted return more than one million kids to school over the past two years, accurate data remains essential for examining progress and identifying areas needing higher attention.
Current estimates place the variety of out-of-school children in Nigeria at in between 15 million and 20 million.
The minister stated the Tinubu administration remains committed to evidence-based policymaking, adding that access to dependable stats would also enhance public responsibility by allowing people and the media to assess government performance utilizing verifiable details.
He motivated journalists to go beyond reporting official events by embracing investigative journalism that examines gaps in the education system and keeps track of the implementation of federal government policies.
According to him, data-driven reporting can play a considerable function in enhancing transparency and advancing education results throughout the country.
Alausa also highlighted crucial reforms being implemented under the administration’s education program, consisting of expanded Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), higher emphasis on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), digital change, strengthened quality assurance, enhanced governance and wider access to education.
He even more mentioned that Nigeria has experienced 3 successive years of undisturbed scholastic calendars in universities, polytechnics and colleges of education, attributing the achievement to sustained dialogue with unions in the tertiary education sector.
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The minister likewise exposed that the number of Nigerian universities ranked amongst the world’s leading 1,000 organizations has increased from 21 to 24, with public universities occupying the nation’s leading four positions.
The top, themed “3 Years of the Tinubu Administration: Examining Reforms, Development and Obstacles in Nigeria’s Education Sector,” united government officials, education stakeholders and journalists to examine advancements in the sector.
Also attending to participants, the Minister of State for Education, Prof Suwaiba Ahmad, contacted reporters to promote continuous reforms through reasonable, well balanced and accountable reporting.
She described education as an important chauffeur of financial growth, democratic development, poverty reduction and national cohesion.
The Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Dr Aisha Garba, restated the commission’s commitment to ensuring that every Nigerian kid has access to quality fundamental education no matter social or geographical background.
She worried that no child must be denied academic opportunities due to the fact that of location, income level or other situations.
The Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), FCT Council, Grace Ike, prompted the media to continue promoting transparency and public awareness on education issues, while calling for stronger partnership amongst government, parents, school administrators, policymakers and reporters to address the sector’s difficulties.
Likewise, the Special Adviser to the Minister of Education on Media and Communication, Ikharo Attah, promoted fact-based journalism, stressing that education reporting should be directed by validated information rather than speculation.
Earlier, ECAN Chairman, Chuks Ukwauta, stated the annual summit was assembled to examine the reforms, accomplishments and exceptional difficulties in Nigeria’s education sector under the current administration.
Nigeria continues to have among the largest populations of out-of-school children worldwide, with aspects such as hardship, insecurity, child labour, early marital relationship, insufficient school infrastructure and restricted access to quality education contributing to the persistent obstacle, particularly in rural and underserved neighborhoods.