The Special Adviser to the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd), on Social Investment, Maryam Uwais, said on Thursday that several factors are driving the rising number of out‑of‑school children. According to the United Nations Education Fund, about 10.5 million Nigerian children aged 5‑14 are not in school. Only 61 percent of 6‑11‑year‑olds regularly attend primary school, and just 35.6 percent of children aged 36‑59 months receive early childhood education.
Uwais explained that the government’s emphasis on school infrastructure, rather than on removing children from the streets and enrolling them, is a key contributor to the problem. While acknowledging that adequate facilities are essential, she stressed the need to address poverty and other critical challenges. Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, she noted that some elected officials prefer visible projects such as infrastructure over tackling existential issues like out‑of‑school children and poverty.
“We have a population that is growing much faster than our economy, and we are not targeting the issues that are increasing these numbers. There are many disparities, and we need to be more strategic about what is causing them,” she said. “The government is trying to bring all these factors together, but we must adopt a holistic approach. The numbers are large, and there are structural issues as well.”
Uwais warned that elected officers often focus on tangible projects that can serve as legacies, diverting education budgets at the state level primarily to infrastructure. “We need more infrastructure, but we also must address poverty and the underlying problems that compound the issue,” she added.
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