The Executive Secretary of Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Hamid Boboyi has disclosed that the number of out of school children in Nigeria increased from 10.5 million to 13.2 million between 2010 and 2015.
The UBEC boss stated this on Thursday in Abuja at a Pre-conference briefing on Northern Nigeria Traditional Rulers Conference on Out of school children.
Represented by the Director of Social Mobilisation, Bello Kagara, he said the Demography Health Survey (DHS) jointly conducted by UNICEF and the Ministry of Education revealed this figure, saying, up to 2015, the figure was 10.5 million.
He said: “Over the last few years due to insurgency challenge and with increasing number of birth, the DHS jointly conducted by UNICEF and the Ministry of education revealed the new figure to be 13.2 million.”
While noting that over the years now, Nigeria has been besieged by Boko Haram insurgency, he said this has led to the near collapse of education in the north-east Nigeria.
“If you add the number of out-of-school children that have been displaced and with the increasing number of birth, you will find out that our source in DHS revealed the out of school children has increased to 13.2 million.”
Speaking, Chief Education Specialist of UNICEF, Terry Durnnian, said the world can only address the problem of out-of-school children if Nigeria plays her role in addressing the scourge of Boko Haram insurgency.
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