Osun State Denies 297,000 Out-of-School Children Claim

The Osun State Government has officially denied a report published by a national daily that claimed the state has the highest number of out-of-school children in the South West, stating there are 297,000 such children. Adekilekun Jimoh, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education, addressed the media in Osogbo, clarifying that the figure was inaccurately attributed to a recent media dialogue organized by the Ministry in collaboration with UNICEF.

Jimoh emphasized that during the event, the number 297,000 was not presented as the total of out-of-school children but rather related to approximately 97,000 learners enrolled in the Nigeria Learn Passport (NLP) program. The government urged media organizations to verify statistics before publication to avoid misinformation and requested the withdrawal of the erroneous report.

Additionally, Dr. Tunji Alausa, the Minister of Education, mentioned ongoing efforts to bridge the educational gap in Nigeria, including a summit scheduled for April 28-30, 2026.