Mohamed Garba
A devastating report from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reveals that a staggering 2.2 million Nigerian children have had their education disrupted due to severe flooding in the country.
This alarming statistic was disclosed by Rahama Rihood Mohammed Farah, Chief of Kano UNICEF Field Office, during a press briefing marking the International Day of Education.
The situation is particularly dire in Northwest Nigeria, which has the second-highest out-of-school rates in the country. The states of Kano, Jigawa, and Katsina are among the worst affected, with approximately 10.2 million children at the primary level out of school in Nigeria, 16% of whom are from these three states.
According to UNICEF reports, 32% of primary school-going age children are out of school in Kano state. Close to 1 million children are out of school in Kano state (989,234).337,861 out-of-school children are in Jigawa, while Katsina state has 536,112
Farah emphasized that the challenge goes beyond just accessing education, as even those enrolled in school are not receiving quality education. He cited a report by the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS 2021), which found that only 1 in 4 children in Nigeria, aged 7-14 years, can read and understand a simple sentence or solve basic arithmetic.
UNICEF is working to address these challenges through various initiatives, including cash transfers to improve access to education for vulnerable families, enrollment drives, and provision of school grants.