The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has raised concerns over Nigeria’s rapidly widening education and digital skills gap, warning that the country could face long-term social and economic setbacks if urgent steps are not taken.
Celine Lafoucriere, Chief of UNICEF’s Lagos Field Office, revealed that more than 10 million primary school pupils and an additional 18 million junior and senior secondary school students are currently out of school. According to her, this means over 28 million Nigerian children and adolescents lack access to formal education or digital learning opportunities.
She spoke during a two-day media dialogue aimed at promoting accelerated digital learning for Nigerian students, organised by the Oyo State Ministry of Information in partnership with UNICEF.
Lafoucriere highlighted that the situation is even more alarming for girls, noting that 15 out of every 100 Nigerian girls are neither in school, nor learning a trade, nor employed—evidence of a deepening gender divide in both education and access to technology.
She noted that Nigeria’s population is projected to include 126 million children and adolescents by 2030, the largest youth population in Africa, stressing that this could either be a national strength or a crisis depending on how well the country equips its young people.
Despite the challenges, Lafoucriere pointed to encouraging progress: over 2 million learners across 21 states—including 300,000 in the Southwest—are already using the Nigerian Learning Passport, while more than 62,000 girls have completed digital skills programmes.
Although she commended the Federal Government’s adoption of the National Policy on Skills Development, she stressed that policy alone is not enough to close the digital divide. She urged the media to amplify success stories, advocate increased investment, push for gender equality in digital access, and highlight the needs of underserved communities.
UNICEF Education Specialist, Babagana Aminu, also called for faster expansion of digital learning, warning that Nigeria’s youth could become either a demographic asset or a burden depending on their preparedness for the future.
Aminu emphasised the need for digital and AI literacy, adding that by 2030, 60% of Nigerians will be under 35, yet nearly half of young people are unemployed or underemployed, with millions lacking essential digital and financial skills. He stressed that “AI will not replace people, but people who understand AI will.”
He urged parents to support digital learning and advocated the inclusion of cybersecurity education in secondary school curricula, citing projections that 230 million jobs in Sub-Saharan Africa will require digital skills by 2030.
In their remarks, officials from Oyo and Lagos states reaffirmed their commitment to expanding technology-driven education. They highlighted ongoing investments in digital classrooms, AI integration, and teacher training, noting that digital learning has now become accessible even in hard-to-reach communities.
