Out-of-School Children
Niger State faces a major challenge in ensuring every child has access to education. TENS II analysis estimates around 952,119 of the State's 2.03 million school-age children (aged 6-15) are out of school - almost half of all school-age children, with girls disproportionately affected.
A widespread challenge
Out-of-school children are found across all 25 LGAs, though the scale varies considerably - from Rijau, where 80% of school-age children are out of school, to Suleja, the lowest at 4%, still representing an estimated 4,891 children.
A gendered gap
An estimated 52% of school-age girls are out of school, compared with 41% of boys. Girls face additional barriers including early marriage and expectations around domestic roles, alongside poverty, distance to school and weak foundational learning.
Evidence to action
TENS II's Education Census and dedicated Out-of-School Children Strategy provide the evidence base, while the State's 2024 Committee on Almajiri and Out-of-School Children engages traditional and religious leaders to reach affected communities.
Objectives, goals and aims
Why children are out of school
- Poverty: households struggle to meet schooling costs, and children may need to contribute to household livelihoods
- Distance to schools: rural communities often share a single school, requiring long journeys, often on foot
- Gender and cultural norms: girls face early marriage and domestic-role expectations, on top of economic pressures affecting boys
- Quality of education: inadequate infrastructure, materials and teachers reduce engagement
- Weak foundational learning: children without early literacy and numeracy skills struggle to progress and often drop out
Action already underway
- A comprehensive Education Census establishing the scale and geographic distribution of the challenge
- A dedicated Out-of-School Children Strategy setting out the State's response
- A 2024 Committee on Almajiri and Out-of-School Children, engaging traditional and religious leaders
- Sustained, coordinated effort needed to reach children across all 25 LGAs
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