Rukaiya el-Rufai Reveals 70% of Kids Struggle with Reading

Rukaiya el-Rufai, the National Coordinator of Human Capital Development 2.0 and Special Adviser to the President of the National Economic Council and Climate Change, reported that approximately 70% of Nigerian children under the age of 10 are unable to read and comprehend simple sentences. This alarming statistic underscores a significant learning crisis in Nigeria, raising concerns about the nation's capacity to develop a productive workforce.

El-Rufai emphasized that mere school attendance does not guarantee the acquisition of necessary literacy and numeracy skills. She cited the example of the Dangote Refinery, noting that Nigerian workers lack the foundational education required for technical jobs, such as geometry for welding.

The Human Capital Development 2.0 programme aims to address these issues by focusing on health, education, skills, and livelihoods, with six priority indicators including learning poverty and youth unemployment. The programme seeks to improve Nigeria's Human Capital Index through measurable outcomes rather than just activity tracking.