Out-of-school children crisis worsening, Sylva, Reps warn

Reps

Lawmakers, policymakers, and education advocates have raised the alarm over the growing number of out-of-school children in Nigeria, warning that the situation poses a major threat to national unity, security, and development.

The United Nations Children’s Fund estimates that about 10.5 million of the country’s children aged 5-14 years are not in school.

Speaking at the 2025 Uwais-Maiwada Aid Foundation Impact Forum in Abuja on Monday, they called for urgent reforms to reposition education as a tool for empowerment, job creation, and national cohesion.Former Bayelsa State Governor, Timipre Sylva, in his address, said the number of children out of school across the country was escalating due to insecurity, deepening poverty, and ignorance. Punch