The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and digital learning pathways remains key to drastically reduce the number of out-of-school children and bridge the widening digital skills gap among Nigerian youths.
This formed part of the key deliberations at a recent intensive two-day media dialogue organized for Journalists across the Southwest and Edo State. The forum brought together media Professionals, Education policy experts, and International development partners to address Nigeria’s ongoing foundational learning crisis.
According to data from the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS),2021, Nigeria currently grapples with one of the world’s largest populations of out-of-school children, sitting at an estimated 20 million. Data from the National Population Commission (NPC) further indicates that the highest concentration of these children is located in Kano State.
In the Southwest region, Experts noted that wealth inequality, geographical location and gender dynamics remain the chief determining factors of which children get access to quality classrooms, worsened nationwide by systemic poverty and regional insecurities.
Speaking at the Media dialogue,the Chief of UNICEF Lagos Field Office ,Celine Lafoucriere, who painted a sobering picture of the current state of education explained that of all the children in Nigeria who actually go to school, only one in four children can read properly and do basic math at age 14.
Lafoucriere further disclosed that there are 10 million more who never get to school at all.She emphasized, however, that this worrisome narrative is progressively changing through targeted interventions leveraging emerging technologies and alternative digital learning systems designed specifically for vulnerable and displaced children.
While digital learning presents a massive opportunity, stakeholders at the dialogue pointed out severe infrastructural deficits that currently stall its full adoption.
A breakdown of the data presented reveals a stark digital skills gap:78% of Nigerian youths currently lack basic digital skills, significantly higher than the global average of 63%.Over 80% of youths do not have access to a computer or internet connectivity at home.Only 50% of the population has access to stable electricity.School infrastructure remains low, with only 27% of schools nationwide equipped with computers—a figure that drops drastically to just 3.7% in rural communities.
These deficits directly affect the economic landscape, contributing to a 42% youth unemployment rate (ages 15–34), with half of Nigerian employers reporting difficulty finding qualified personnel with modern technological skills.
UNICEF Education Officer ,Harold Kpogime noted that tackling the crisis cannot be left to the government alone. He stressed that Parents, Communities and International Partners must share collective responsibility to dismantle the barriers keeping Children out of School.
Currently, the implementation of the National Policy on ICT in Education faces immense bottlenecks, primarily due to high data costs, unstable power supply, and limited digital literacy among teachers.
To mitigate these hurdles, partners are aggressively promoting the deployment of the “Learning Passport.” This highly versatile digital platform operates seamlessly across mobile networks, online, and completely offline, allowing learners, teachersand caregivers in remote areas to access high-quality educational materials without standard internet constraints.
Representing the Government’s commitment, the Osun State Commissioner for Education, Hon. Dipo Eluwole, alongside other key Partners charged the Media to step up sustained advocacy.
Commissioner Eluwole who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Murtala Jimoh emphasized that the Media must continue to set the public agenda, mobilize communities at the grassroots level and ensure children are adequately protected online.
While the Southwest zone has demonstrated that robust educational intervention is entirely achievable, Keyplayers concluded that the urgent task ahead is to scale these digital solutions universally, ensuring that no child in Nigeria is left uneducated.
UNICEF Out Of School Children Local Partners are Federal Ministry of Education Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) ,National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School Children Education (NCAOOSE),State Ministries of Education ,State Universal Basic Education Boards (SUBEBs) ,Local Government Education Authorities (LGEAs),
International partners; World BankEducation Cannot Wait (ECW)Global Partnership for Education (GPE)
UNICEF Digital Learning Local Partners;Federal Ministry of Education Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) State Ministries of Education State Universal Basic Education Boards (SUBEBs) Local Government Education Authorities (LGEAs)
INTERNATIONAL Partners;Global Partnership for Education (GPE) Microsoft ,Airtel, IHS, Towers, TECNO SONY
