Nigeria Launches Nationwide Mapping for Out-of-School Children

On Thursday, Dr. Maruf Olatunji Alausa, the Minister of Education, unveiled a new strategy to address Nigeria's out-of-school children crisis by adopting the household mapping model from Kaduna State as a national template. This initiative, in collaboration with the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), will involve a nationwide mapping exercise across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

The goal is to generate precise data on out-of-school children, including their locations and households, moving away from reliance on statistical estimates. Alausa emphasized that this verified data will enable more effective planning and targeted interventions.

He cited a previous estimate of 585,000 out-of-school children in Kaduna, which was revised to fewer than 200,000 through the state's mapping exercise. The minister expressed confidence that this initiative would enhance education planning, improve resource allocation, and support the Federal Government's commitment to ensuring every child has access to education.