UNICEF, Save the Children tackle Kaduna school crisis

Save the Children International and UNICEF have pledged continued support to the Kaduna State Government in addressing the significant challenge of out-of-school children. The commitment was reaffirmed at a data dissemination event for the 2026 Out-of-School Children Mapping and the 2025/2026 Annual School Census reports.

Duncan Harvey, Country Director of Save the Children International in Nigeria, hailed the mapping exercise as a crucial step, providing the first comprehensive data on the location, age, gender, and disability status of out-of-school children across Kaduna's 23 local government areas. This evidence-based data is vital for targeting interventions effectively.

“

This is a landmark occasion because, for the first time, Kaduna State now knows exactly where its out-of-school children are. We know their age, their gender and whether they are living with disabilities. This gives us the evidence we need to target interventions where they are most needed.

The mapping covered 360,319 households and identified 187,719 children not attending school. Of these, 60.2% had never enrolled, while 39.8% had dropped out. Key factors contributing to this crisis include poverty, a shortage of teachers, inadequate learning facilities, insecurity, disability-related barriers, child labor, and harmful social norms.

“

The challenge is not simply about getting children into classrooms. We must ensure they remain in school, learn effectively and successfully transition through the education system.

Harvey stressed that the goal is not only to get children into classrooms but to ensure they remain there, learn effectively, and progress through the education system. Save the Children has already made progress under the Reaching Out-of-School Children project, enrolling thousands in accelerated programs, transitioning children to formal schools, and distributing essential learning materials.

The organizations urged the Kaduna State Government to develop costed implementation plans based on the mapping findings. They also called for sustained support from donors, communities, and the media to ensure the initiative's success in returning 100,000 out-of-school children to education.

“

We have the data. What matters now is turning these findings into action. Government, donors, communities and the media all have critical roles to play.