Federal Govt Targets Enrollment of 500,000 Out-of-School Children

The Federal Government of Nigeria has set a target to enroll 500,000 out-of-school children across the country, including the Federal Capital Territory. The initiative, led by the National Commission for Mass Literacy Adult Education (NMEC), aims to collect data on learners aged 15 and above who have dropped out of school or never been enrolled in a literacy program.

The program will provide opportunities for these young Nigerians to continue their education or receive vocational training, with the first phase lasting six to nine months. The initiative will cover all 775 local government areas in the country, with 376 enumerators and 250 facilitators onboarded for the project.

The initiative will be monitored through a dashboard linked to the National Identity Management System to track learner progress effectively. UNICEF recently reported that millions of children in Nigeria are out of primary education, emphasizing the need for urgent action from the government.