Governors across Northern Nigeria have pledged renewed and coordinated efforts to reverse the growing rate of school dropouts, describing the crisis as a major threat to regional human capacity, security, and long-term socio-economic development.
The governors emphasized that tackling the crisis requires a unified regional approach that prioritizes safe learning, expanded access to basic education, and targeted interventions to return school-age children to classrooms, while addressing underlying challenges such as insecurity and poverty, which continue to hinder educational outcomes.
Speaking at the 12th Annual Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Lecture and Merit Award in Jigawa on Tuesday, the Chairman of the Northern States Governors’ Forum (NSGF) and Gombe State Governor, Muhammadu Yahaya, highlighted alarming statistics underscoring the scale of the crisis in the region.
He revealed that Nigeria has about 18 million out-of-school children, with nearly 70 per cent located in Northern Nigeria. In states such as Yobe, Bauchi, and Sokoto, literacy levels remain critically low, hovering below 30 per cent.
Yahaya noted that net primary school attendance in the North-East and North-West stands at approximately 47.7 per cent and 47.3 per cent respectively, while nationwide only 26 per cent of children aged 7 to 15 possess basic literacy and numeracy skills, with the North bearing the heaviest burden of this learning deficit.
“These figures paint a grim picture of millions of children being denied their fundamental right to basic education,” he said.
The governor stressed that education remains the bedrock of human capital development and warned that without urgently addressing the barriers limiting access to quality education, the region’s growth and development would continue to be stunted.
He highlighted the myriad challenges militating against equitable access to education in Northern Nigeria, including insecurity, inadequate infrastructure, cultural barriers, and funding constraints.
“These are not mere statistics, they represent a crisis threatening the future of our youth and the prosperity of our region,” Yahaya added.
To curb the growing menace, he explained that the NSGF has strengthened collaboration with the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), development partners, and donor agencies to expand access to education, improve school infrastructure, and enhance teacher training across the region.
These partnerships, according to him, are crucial for mobilizing resources and technical expertise needed to tackle the out-of-school challenge and close persistent learning gaps.
Acknowledging that insecurity remains the single greatest threat to education in Northern Nigeria, the governor said the forum has established the Northern Nigeria Security Trust Fund to provide sustainable financing for coordinated security interventions.
The initiative, he said, aims to protect schools from abductions, insurgency, and other security threats, creating safe and conducive learning environments.
“These efforts underscore our commitment to confronting insecurity, strengthening educational systems, and ensuring that every child in Northern Nigeria has equitable access to quality education,” he added.
Reacting to the issue, Jigawa State Governor Umar Namadi said the forum is advancing collaborative initiatives focused on strengthening regional security and promoting social cohesion across communities.
He expressed gratitude to the Federal Government under President Bola Tinubu for renewed efforts to address insecurity, which has severely undermined economic activities and public welfare, disrupted daily life, discouraged investment, and instilled fear among citizens.
While commending the ongoing interventions, Namadi urged that they be well-coordinated and sustained until lasting peace is fully restored. He emphasized that consistent commitment is critical to accelerating economic recovery and securing a safer, more prosperous future for the region and the nation as a whole.
