Osun denies report on 297,000 out-of-school children

The Osun State Government has strongly denied a report alleging that the state possesses the highest number of out-of-school children in Nigeria's South-West region, labeling the claim as misleading and malicious. The report, published by a national daily, stated that Osun had 297,000 out-of-school children and attributed this figure to a recent media dialogue organized by the Ministry of Education in collaboration with UNICEF.

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We wish to clarify that at no point during the recently concluded media dialogue organised by the Osun State Ministry of Education in collaboration with UNICEF was the figure of 297,000 presented as the number of out-of-school children in Osun State.

Adekilekun Jimoh, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education, issued a statement clarifying that the figure of 297,000 was never presented as the number of out-of-school children during the event held in Ede. Instead, Jimoh explained that the figure discussed related to approximately 97,000 learners enrolled on the Nigeria Learning Passport (NLP) and Passport to Earn (P2E) platforms.

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The figure presented during the programme was that approximately 97,000 learners have enrolled on the Nigeria Learning Passport (NLP) and Passport to Earn (P2E) platforms in Osun State. These figures relate to programme enrolment and participation, and not to the population of out-of-school children.

Jimoh emphasized that these figures pertain to program enrollment and participation, not the population of children who are out of school. The Permanent Secretary expressed surprise at the report, calling the claim that Osun has the highest number of out-of-school children in the South-West "malicious, damaging, and rejected in its totality." The NLP and P2E initiatives were described as programs designed to broaden access to learning and digital skills for children and young people.

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It is therefore surprising to see reports suggesting that the figure of 297,000 represents the number of out-of-school children in Osun State or that Osun has the highest number of out-of-school children in the South-West. Such a claim is malicious, damaging, and rejected in its totality, because neither such figure was presented nor attributed to the presentations during the programme.

The Osun State Government urged media organizations to verify statistics before publication to avoid creating misconceptions about the state's education sector. The government also called for the newspaper to retract the report and issue an apology to the Osun State Government, the Ministry of Education, and UNICEF for the inaccurate reporting. The Federal Government is reportedly intensifying efforts to address the challenge of out-of-school children nationwide through coordinated reforms and interventions.

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While we appreciate the role of the media in informing the public, inaccurate reporting can create unnecessary misconceptions about the education sector in Osun State. We respectfully urge media organisations to verify their statistics before publication and ensure that reports accurately reflect presentations made at official events.