Every 27th of May, schools, organisations, and communities across Nigeria roll out the drums to celebrate Children’s Day. Colourful parades, lively performances, gifts, and speeches are the order of the day. It is a moment set aside to honour children, appreciate their innocence, and reflect on their place in society. But for a significant portion of Nigerian children, the day passes not with celebration, but with hunger, exploitation, and silence. As the country marks Children’s Day 2025, it is time to move beyond festivities and ask the uncomfortable questions: What does this day truly mean for the street child and the out-of-schoolchildren? What becomes of the children whose homes are the gutters, whose toys are stones, and whose classrooms are the pavements of Lagos, Kano, Port Harcourt, and beyond?
According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), Nigeria has the highest number of out-of-school children globally, with an estimated 10.2 million children out of school as of 2024. This staggering figure reflects a combination of socio-economic challenges, insecurity, cultural norms, and systemic neglect.
A large proportion of these children are concentrated in northern Nigeria, where education has been disrupted by insurgency, poverty, and traditional practices that often prioritise early marriage and child labour over schooling. However, the crisis is not limited to one region. In urban slums like Makoko in Lagos and remote rural areas in states like Ebonyi or Zamfara, thousands of children remain invisible to educational institutions. Children’s Day should not just be about celebration; it should serve as a rallying cry for inclusive policies and programmes. The out-of-school child is not just a statistic – they are a future teacher, doctor, inventor, or leader being lost to a cycle of illiteracy and poverty.
Bridging the education gap is not only a moral obligation but also a strategic investment. Research by the World Bank indicates that each additional year of schooling raises earnings by up to 10%, and educated populations are better equipped to contribute to national growth, innovation, and stability. To effectively reach out-of-school children, we must first understand the factors keeping them away:
Poverty and Child Labour: Many families cannot afford uniforms, books, or transportation, and some children are forced to work to support household incomes. In 2023, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) revealed that 39.2% of Nigerian children aged 5–17 were engaged in economic activities.
Insecurity and Conflict: Insurgent attacks on schools and kidnapping of students, particularly in the North-East and North-West, have made education a life-threatening endeavour. Over 1,500 schools were closed due to insecurity in 2022 alone.
Cultural and Gender Norms: In some communities, especially in the North, girls are denied education due to early marriage, domestic responsibilities, or societal beliefs that devalue formal learning for girls.
Poor Infrastructure: Many communities lack functional schools within reachable distance. Where schools exist, they are often overcrowded, underfunded, and lack qualified teachers.
Disabilities and Special Needs: Children living with disabilities often face neglect due to the lack of inclusive learning environments, trained teachers, and accessible facilities.
To transform Children’s Day 2025 from a symbolic event into a transformative platform, government bodies, civil society, the private sector, and community leaders must adopt a multi-pronged strategy:
1. Mobile and Floating Schools
Innovative learning models like floating schools, such as the Hope for the Slum Floating School in Makoko, Lagos, have demonstrated that learning can reach children wherever they are. These mobile and boat-based schools can cater to communities affected by displacement, flooding, or poor infrastructure. By scaling such models, particularly in riverine and hard-to-reach areas, thousands more can be reached.
2. Community Learning Hubs
Rather than waiting for children to come to formal schools, education should go to where children are. Community learning hubs, set up in mosques, markets, or community centres, can deliver foundational literacy and numeracy education. Such hubs require minimal resources and can be operated by trained volunteer educators or retired teachers.
3. Cash Transfer and Feeding Programmes
Conditional cash transfers and school feeding programmes have proven effective in increasing school enrolment. In Ogun State, the Home Grown School Feeding Programme saw enrolment jump by 10% within one year. National expansion of such programmes, targeted at poor households and vulnerable children, can drastically improve participation.
4. Alternative Learning Pathways
Out-of-school children, particularly those who are older, may no longer fit into traditional classroom models. Alternative education centres with flexible schedules, vocational training, and digital learning resources can provide a second chance. NGOs such as Slum2School and Street Child Nigeria have demonstrated success through such tailored interventions.
5. Inclusive Education for Children with Disabilities
There must be deliberate policy and funding attention to ensure children with physical or cognitive disabilities are not left behind. This includes training teachers in inclusive pedagogy, investing in assistive technologies, and building accessible school environments.
6. Gender-Sensitive Campaigns and Incentives
To tackle socio-cultural barriers, government and advocacy groups must promote awareness campaigns that champion the importance of girl-child education. In places like Kebbi and Katsina, offering scholarships, bicycles, or hygiene kits has helped boost girls’ attendance.
7. Data-Driven Planning and Monitoring
Reliable data is crucial. Many children remain “invisible” because they are not officially documented. The government must strengthen its education data systems to map out-of-school children accurately and monitor interventions. Technology can help track attendance, enrolment trends, and identify underserved communities.
Children’s Day should not be dominated by political speeches and ceremonial gatherings. The media must use this opportunity to highlight the plight of out-of-school children through features, interviews, and investigative reports. Civil society organisations should organise town halls, children’s parliaments, and exhibitions showcasing solutions and success stories. Partnerships with religious institutions, traditional rulers, and market leaders are also essential. These influencers command respect and can mobilise families to prioritise education, especially in conservative communities. The Nigerian government must move from rhetoric to results. The UNESCO benchmark recommends allocating 15–20% of national budgets to education. In 2024, Nigeria allocated less than 8%, a clear signal of misplaced priorities. Increased education funding should go towards infrastructure, teacher training, inclusive resources, and basic amenities. Moreover, the implementation of the Universal Basic Education Act must be enforced, ensuring that states meet their matching grant obligations to access federal funds. The proposed Student Loan Scheme and other education finance mechanisms must also consider mechanisms to support the most vulnerable, especially children outside formal education.
Children’s Day 2025 offers Nigeria a renewed chance to commit to its youngest and most vulnerable citizens. Out-of-school children must not remain statistics tucked away in policy documents. They are living stories of resilience, aspiration, and untapped potential. From mobile classrooms and feeding schemes to inclusive policies and digital solutions, the tools to bridge the education gap already exist – what remains is the political will, social empathy, and strategic coordination to act. As we celebrate children on May 27, let it not be with balloons and pageantry alone, but with meaningful steps that ensure every Nigerian child regardless of background, ability, or location has the right and opportunity to learn. The future of Nigeria lies in their hands. But first, we must place education in theirs.
