Nigeria needs $345m annually to tackle out-of-school crisis —Education minister, Alausa

The Federal Government has disclosed that Nigeria will require about $345 million annually to address its growing out-of-school children crisis, as efforts intensify to reintegrate millions of affected youths into the education system.

Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, made the revelation on Tuesday during the inaugural Federal Ministry of Education Private Sector Breakfast Convening held in Lagos.

According to him, the estimate reflects the current cost needed to provide access to education and essential skills for approximately 15 million children who are presently outside the formal school system.

He noted that the challenge remains significant, with 25 per cent of children aged between 5 and 14 out of school nationwide, a figure that rises sharply to 41 per cent in the North-East and North-West regions.

Despite ongoing reforms under the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative, the minister stressed that more resources are needed to complement government efforts.

“The challenges in the Nigerian education sector present a marked opportunity to increase access, improve quality, and enhance systems,” the minister stated.

He added that education remains central to the administration’s “Renewed Hope” agenda, which aims to grow Nigeria into a $1 trillion economy by 2030.

Highlighting steps already taken, Alausa said the government had disbursed N10.6 billion to Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) centres nationwide, alongside N3.4 billion paid directly to trainees.

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He revealed that the programme has attracted 1.3 million applications, with 160,000 students successfully matched to training centres and 72,000 currently enrolled using biometric verification.

The minister further disclosed that over N156 billion has been committed to upgrading infrastructure in tertiary institutions, including the rehabilitation of 18 medical schools and several engineering faculties.

“N70bn has been spent on laboratory and technology workshop rehabilitation, and N100bn on new hostels across 50 institutions,” he said.

In a bid to support innovation among students, the government has also introduced the Student Venture Capital Grant targeted at those in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medical Sciences.

Alausa explained that N50 million in equity-free grants has been earmarked, with 65 students already shortlisted for the initiative.

He also announced an international collaboration with the Italian government aimed at mobilising global funding for education.

“And this conference is going to raise $5bn with another catalytic funding of about N10bn, with a total of $15bn to support foundational learning in 90 countries across the world,” he asserted.

The minister called on private sector stakeholders to align with government priorities through the proposed Education Sector Wide Approach, which he said would ensure transparency and accountability.

Also speaking, Minister of State for Education, Suwaiba Ahmad, emphasised the importance of collaboration in transforming the sector.

“Government alone cannot achieve the scale of transformation required. The private sector remains a critical partner in driving innovation, expanding infrastructure, and supporting skills development,” she said.

The ministry highlighted key milestones under its reform framework, including the reintegration of one million children into formal education, the training of 1,400 Tsangaya teachers for Almajiri education, and the mapping of 32 million students and 221,000 schools across 21 states to improve data and digital planning.

It also noted that N128 billion has been disbursed through the Nigeria Education Loan Fund, benefiting over 1.1 million students nationwide.

To bridge existing funding gaps, the government is promoting innovative financing models such as the Global Partnership for Education Multiplier, which matches private sector contributions on a one-to-one basis.

Officials at the event also pointed to data showing that each additional year of schooling in Nigeria can increase individual earnings by 5.7 per cent and boost productivity by six per cent, reinforcing the urgency of sustained investment in education.

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