Osun battles 297,000 Out-of-School children, turns to AI learning initiative

By Chinenye Anuforo

Osun State Government is intensifying efforts to tackle an out-of-school children crisis affecting nearly 297,000 children, deploying digital learning platforms and Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered educational tools as part of a broader strategy to improve access to education.

According to the latest Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS-6) conducted by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Osun has the highest out-of-school children rate in the South-West region at 13 per cent. The figure translates to about 297,000 children, mostly between the ages of six and 11, who are not enrolled in basic education.

The survey also revealed that 14.88 per cent of male children are out of school compared to 11.50 per cent of female children. Although the percentage represents an improvement from previous survey rounds, stakeholders say population growth continues to keep the number of affected children high.

The challenge came into focus during an ongoing two-day Media Dialogue on Digital Learning, Artificial Intelligence and Skill Development for Out-of-School Children  in Osogbo by the Osun State Ministry of Education in collaboration with UNICEF.

Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education, Murtala Adekilekun Kehinde Jimoh, described out-of-school children as one of the most pressing educational challenges confronting both Osun State and Nigeria.

According to him, the state government is leveraging technology, partnerships and community engagement to address the problem and ensure more children gain access to quality education.

“Education remains the most powerful tool for human development, social transformation and economic growth. However, many children remain excluded from formal education due to socio-economic, cultural, geographical and security-related challenges,” he said.

Jimoh noted that digital learning technologies and AI now provide opportunities to bridge educational gaps, support teachers, identify learning deficiencies and reach vulnerable children who are difficult to access through conventional classroom systems.

He highlighted the impact of the state’s partnership with UNICEF, particularly through the Nigeria Learning Passport initiative, which provides digital learning opportunities for children.

The permanent secretary disclosed that out-of-school children are mostly concentrated in urban centres such as Osogbo, Ede, Ile-Ife and Ilesa but said government interventions, including the establishment of learning centres and special schools, have helped reduce the number of children found on the streets.

“We have established learning centres and schools specifically designed to accommodate these children and help them reintegrate into the education system. Through these combined efforts, we are making steady progress towards reducing the number of out-of-school children,” he said.

While Osun seeks innovative solutions, UNICEF officials warned that Nigeria’s education challenge extends beyond school enrolment to what experts describe as “learning poverty.”

Chief of UNICEF’s Lagos Field Office, Celine Lafoucriere, said only one in four Nigerian children who attend school can read properly and perform basic mathematics by the age of 14.

“Think about that for one second. Of all the children in Nigeria who actually go to school, only one in four can read properly and do basic math at age 14. And we are only talking about the children who make it to school,” she said.

Lafoucriere warned that millions of children who remain outside the school system face an even greater risk of exclusion in a world increasingly driven by digital technology and artificial intelligence.

“The children who know how to use these technologies will have a chance. The ones who don’t will be left out. Right now, out-of-school children in Nigeria are the ones being left out,” she added.

She called on journalists to sustain public attention on the crisis, noting that consistent media coverage could influence policy decisions and accelerate action.

Further highlighting the scale of the problem, UNICEF Education Specialist, Harold Kpojime, disclosed that Nigeria now has nearly 20 million out-of-school children, the highest number in the world.

According to him, the figure was derived from a nationwide survey covering 9,632 households and assessments involving more than 22,000 children aged between five and 17 years.

Kpojime explained that one out of every three primary school-age children in Nigeria is currently out of school, stressing that accurate data remains critical to designing effective interventions.

He noted that the challenge extends beyond access, as school attendance and completion rates decline progressively as children move through the education system.

He identified poverty, insecurity, cultural practices, religion, gender disparities and geographical location as major drivers of school exclusion.

Education stakeholders at the dialogue observed that while technology alone cannot solve Nigeria’s education crisis, digital learning platforms and AI-powered tools are becoming increasingly important in reaching vulnerable and excluded children, particularly in underserved communities.

For Osun State, they noted that the task remains urgent. Despite significant improvements over the years, the state still records the highest out-of-school children rate in the South-West, underscoring the need for sustained investment in education, teacher development, poverty reduction programmes and community mobilisation.

Stakeholders agreed that the success of digital learning initiatives will depend not only on technology but also on broader efforts to ensure that every child has access to meaningful education and the skills required to thrive in the digital economy