The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has concluded that the persistent Insecurity ravaging states like Katsina and Zamfara is severely impacting Nigeria’s educational sector. The agency highlights that this menace has resulted in a high number of out-of-school children, low attendance and participation rates, poor learning outcomes, and low skills acquisition among children at all levels. Rahama Rihood Mohammed Farah, Chief of Field for UNICEF’s Kano Field Office, pointed out that these educational challenges are rooted in the high levels of insecurity in the North-West states of Katsina and Zamfara.
Additionally, low Education financing, poorly resourced schools, inadequate Teacher competency, and high pupil-teacher ratios exacerbate the situation. Farah elaborated on these issues during a media dialogue on “Retention, Transition, and Completion of Schools and Re-entry Guidelines,” organized by UNICEF in collaboration with the Katsina State Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education. He emphasized that these factors lead to low overall educational attainment, hamper social and economic opportunities for young people, and perpetuate cycles of Poverty and inequality.
Low education financing results in high out-of-school rates, poor outcomes.
Nigeria’s expenditure on education is alarmingly low at just 1.2% of its GDP, significantly below other African countries and the international benchmark of 4-6%. Farah stressed that insufficient domestic financing results in a shortfall of 378,000 classrooms and approximately 278,000 teachers. This shortage leads to high student-teacher ratios (55:1 at the primary level) and places additional pressure on teachers, many of whom lack the necessary qualifications. Around 50% of Basic Education teachers do not possess the Nigerian Certificate in Education (NCE) or the minimum teaching qualification, and 20% of primary school teachers are absent each workday.
One in three children in Nigeria are out of school, with 10.2 million at the primary level and 8.1 million at the junior secondary level. According to the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2021, three in four children aged 7-14 years cannot read with understanding or solve a simple mathematics problem. Farah warned that stalled progress on Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4, which focuses on quality education, will affect regional and global development since Nigeria accounts for the largest share of out-of-school children globally (15%) and regionally (33%).
Direct impact on schools, socioeconomic and cultural barriers.
In 2021 alone, at least 25 schools were attacked, directly impacting 1,446 learners and 24 personnel, with 76% of these attacks occurring in the North-West. Katsina and Zamfara states reported the highest number of abductions in a single incident, with 344 and 327 learners abducted, respectively. As a precautionary measure, over 11,000 schools were closed for four months during the 2020/21 academic year, significantly disrupting the education of 1.3 million children. The growing child population and high fertility rates in Nigeria place significant pressure on the delivery of social services, yet Education Financing has not kept pace with this demand.
Farah pointed out that the primary school completion rate in Katsina State averages 62.5%, compared to the national average of 73.1% and 56.1% for the North-West. The senior Secondary School completion rate is even lower, with only 32% of enrolled children completing their education. The transition rate to secondary school in Katsina stands at 69.5%, below the national average of 84% and the North-West average of 70%, with fewer girls transitioning to secondary school than boys. UNICEF is urging the media to partner in education development, ensuring that every parent, community leader, traditional leader, and religious leader is aware of the priorities and plans of the Katsina government and its partners.
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Its aim is to ensure every child has an equal opportunity to enroll, participate, transition, and complete their education in a safe and conducive environment. Alhaji Husamatu Gonna, Director of Planning and Research for the Ministry of Education, represented the Commissioner for Basic Education and reiterated the government’s commitment to ensuring the transition, retention, and completion of school by children. The ministry has laid out plans to tackle the challenges posed by insecurity and improve the educational landscape in Katsina and Zamfara.