Nigeria Launches New Education Policy to Tackle Crisis

The Nigerian government has unveiled a new education policy designed to tackle the out-of-school crisis affecting the country. The policy was launched by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, and disclosed by Dr. John Edeh, the Director of Literacy Development at the National Commission for Mass Literacy, Adult and Non-Formal Education (NMEC), in Abuja.

This initiative aims to close the long-standing gaps within Nigeria's non-formal education system. The policy emphasizes mainstreaming learners and improving the certification process, creating flexible pathways that allow beneficiaries to transition easily to higher education and vocational opportunities.

It compresses the learning duration, enabling individuals who have missed formal schooling to complete equivalent education within three to four years, rather than spending decades in conventional schools. This reform is expected to significantly reduce the large population of out-of-school youth in Nigeria and address related issues such as unemployment, insecurity, and social challenges linked to illiteracy.