By Felix Khanoba
Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Olatunji Alausa, has unveiled a new strategy to combat Nigeria’s out-of-school children crisis by adopting Kaduna State’s household mapping model as the national template for identifying affected children and improving access to education across the country.
Under the initiative, the Federal Ministry of Education, in partnership with the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), will conduct a nationwide household mapping exercise in all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory to generate accurate data on out-of-school children, including their locations and households.
The development marks a shift from the long-standing reliance on statistical estimates to verified, household-based data that will enable governments to design targeted interventions and monitor progress more effectively.
Alausa, announced the policy during a meeting with Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani, according to a statement issued on Thursday by his Special Adviser on Media and Communications, Ikharo Attah.
Alausa said the new approach would provide government with reliable information needed to tackle one of the country’s most pressing education challenges.
He explained that previous planning efforts were largely based on projections that did not accurately reflect the actual number or location of children outside the school system. According to him, the household mapping exercise will provide verified information to guide policymaking and ensure that educational interventions reach the intended beneficiaries.
Using Kaduna State as a case study, the minister noted that while earlier estimates placed the state’s out-of-school population at about 585,000, the household mapping exercise conducted by the state government revealed that the figure was fewer than 200,000.
“With this exercise, we now know where these children are and the households they belong to. That gives us the opportunity to work closely with the Kaduna State Government to bring them back to school,” the Minister said.
He praised Governor Uba Sani for pioneering a model that provides a more accurate understanding of the challenge, noting that dependable data is essential for effective planning and improved service delivery in the education sector.
The minister disclosed that the Federal Ministry of Education has already commenced collaboration with the National Bureau of Statistics to replicate Kaduna’s methodology nationwide. He expressed confidence that the exercise would strengthen education planning, improve resource allocation and provide a credible basis for tracking efforts to reduce the number of children outside the classroom.
Alausa also assured Nigerians that the initiative aligns with the Federal Government’s commitment to ensuring that every child has access to education.
He said the nationwide household mapping exercise would support practical solutions by enhancing collaboration between the Federal Government, state governments and development partners, while improving the identification, enrolment and retention of out-of-school children under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
Governor Uba Sani, in his remarks, commended both the Minister of Education and the Minister of State for Education for driving reforms aimed at repositioning the country’s education sector.
He also lauded President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for sustaining support for education, saying the administration’s commitment has created the enabling environment for meaningful reforms nationwide.
The governor reaffirmed Kaduna State’s readiness to continue working with the Federal Ministry of Education to expand access to quality education, describing education as one of the most critical investments any government can make. He expressed satisfaction that the state’s household mapping initiative has now been adopted as the national model for addressing the out-of-school children challenge.
