Kaduna Unveils 187,719 Out-of-School Children, Drives Data-Driven Solutions

Addressing the Crisis of Out-Of-School Children in Kaduna State

The Kaduna State Government has identified a significant number of out-of-school children across its 23 local government areas, with poverty being the primary factor contributing to their exclusion from education. This revelation came during the dissemination of the 2026 Out-of-School Children Mapping Report and the 2025/2026 Annual School Census Report in Kaduna.

Deputy Governor of Kaduna State, Dr Hadiza Sabuwa Balarabe, shared these findings at an event on Friday, highlighting the urgent need for targeted interventions to address this issue. The Reaching Out-of-School Children (ROOSC) Project is being implemented in collaboration with several international organizations, including the Education Above All Foundation, Kuwait Fund, Qatar Fund for Development, Islamic Development Bank, and the Global Partnership for Education. Additionally, Save the Children and UNICEF are working closely with the Kaduna State Government to ensure the project’s success.

The ROOSC Project aims to improve access to quality education by using data-driven strategies to bring out-of-school children back into classrooms. According to Balarabe, the reports indicate that 187,719 children in Kaduna State remain out of school. She emphasized that behind each statistic is a child whose future depends on the decisions made by the government and stakeholders.

Key Findings from the Reports

The household survey revealed that nearly 65 per cent of out-of-school children are between the ages of six and 11 years, indicating that the state’s greatest challenge lies at the point of school entry. Boys account for 57 per cent of out-of-school children, while girls make up 43 per cent, underscoring the need for gender-sensitive interventions.

More than 91 per cent of affected households cited poverty as the main barrier to school enrollment, reinforcing the importance of social protection programs such as school feeding, free learning materials, and targeted support for vulnerable families. The Kaduna North Senatorial Zone accounts for 51 per cent of all out-of-school children in the state, with Kubau Local Government Area recording the highest number.

The Annual School Census complements the mapping exercise by providing comprehensive information on schools, classrooms, teachers, enrolment trends, infrastructure, and learning facilities across Kaduna State. When analyzed together, both reports will help the government determine where new schools should be constructed, additional teachers deployed, and investments channeled for maximum impact.

Progress and Initiatives

Balarabe noted that when the current administration took office, there were over half a million out-of-school children in Kaduna State. However, due to deliberate policy choices and sustained investments in education, the number has now declined to just over 187,000. Education remains the highest-funded sector in Kaduna State, accounting for 25 per cent of the 2026 Appropriation Law.

This funding has supported the implementation of free basic education and reduced tuition fees in state-owned tertiary institutions. The government’s school feeding programme has also improved enrolment and retention, with about 40 per cent of pupils in public schools benefiting directly from the initiative.

In partnership with the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development, the state has constructed over 100 schools to address the out-of-school children challenge, built 65 secondary schools, renovated more than 2,300 classrooms, and has another 55 secondary schools in the pipeline. Kaduna State recruits 2,000 primary school teachers annually and recently extended teachers’ years of service to retain experienced personnel in the education sector.

Through the Kaduna State Universal Basic Education Board (KADSUBEB), over 174,000 textbooks, 190,000 exercise books, 32,000 school uniforms, school bags, writing materials, sandals, and sports equipment have been distributed across public schools.

Data Management and Future Plans

Kaduna State has become the first state in Nigeria to capture 99 per cent of its education data on the National Education Management Information System (NEMIS), demonstrating its commitment to evidence-based governance.

Earlier, Kaduna State Coordinator of the Reaching Out-of-School Children Project, Mr Ezra Angai, said the project had already returned over 25,000 out-of-school children to learning centres and formal schools, out of its target of enrolling 100,000 children within four years. He disclosed that about 20,000 children currently enrolled in catch-up learning centres would be mainstreamed into formal schools when the next academic session begins in September.

Angai explained that the project is built on three pillars—expanding access to education through school construction and renovation, improving learning outcomes through teacher development, and strengthening the education system through community participation and institutional support.

Ongoing Efforts and Challenges

Procurement has been completed for 42 schools under the project, with 16 new schools currently under construction and 26 undergoing renovation, while the procurement process has commenced for an additional 90 schools. Presenting highlights of the mapping report, officials disclosed that 360,000 households were covered across the 23 local government areas using Geographic Information System (GIS)-based mapping conducted between February 2025 and February 2026.

The exercise identified 187,719 out-of-school children and revealed that about 40 per cent of them are school dropouts, with dropout rates increasing between primary four and primary six, highlighting the need for improved retention strategies.

The report further revealed that more than 4,000 out-of-school children have one form of disability, while about 2,000 suffer severe disabilities, underscoring the need for more inclusive education interventions. It added that Zone One, comprising eight local government areas, bears the highest burden of out-of-school children, with Giwa, Soba, Makarfi, and Birnin Gwari among the areas requiring priority interventions.

The Kaduna State Government stated that the findings of the reports would immediately guide future investments in school construction, rehabilitation, teacher deployment, school feeding programmes, community mobilization, and catch-up learning initiatives across the state.