INTERROGATING THE ISSUES AND CHALLENGES OF OUT - OF- SCHOOL CHILDREN IN NIGERIA

Abstract

The issue of out-of-school children in Nigeria is a pressing concern to all stakeholders with far-reaching implications for the country’s socio-economic development. Despite the efforts of the Nigerian government to address the challenges through various policy initiatives and institutional frameworks, over 10million of children remains out of school in the country, placing the country as the number one with the highest number of out-of-school children in the world. The surge in the number of out-of school children in Nigeria is traceable to poverty, insecurity, cultural, religion barriers, insecurity and inadequate educational infrastructure. The unabated rise in the figure of out-of-school children in Nigeria has far reaching implications for the future of the country. Children who are out of school are exposed to violence, abuse, neglect, Childs labour, sexual exploitation, social stigma and recruitment to extremist groups and are likely to involve in other criminal activities leading to insecurity  that can affect the socio-economic development of the country. To address the issue of out-of-school children in Nigeria, government and other critical stakeholders must work together to tackle the root causes. The paper recommended the need for government at all levels to increase funding to the education sector, improve infrastructural facilities in schools, organize periodic capacity building for teachers and constantly embark on community engagement advocacy.