UNICEF says many youths still out of school, under-skilled

From Timothy Olanrewaju, Maiduguri

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said many children and young people in the northeast are still out of school and under-skilled, calling for more investment in youth education.

UNICEF Chief of Maiduguri Field Office, Mr Francis Butichi said this in Maiduguri on Tuesday at an event organized to commemorate the 2026 International Day of Education

Butichi, who was represented by UNICEF Resilience Manager, Atthawoot Sangkharat said huge gap still exists though over 255,000 young people have gained access to digital learning and more than 400,000 youths connected to skills, livelihoods and empowerment.

“Too many young people are still out of school, under-skilled or excluded from learning opportunities.”

He said the theme of this year’s commemoration, “The Power of Youth in Co-Creating Education”,  reflects a simple truth. He noted that education works best when young people are not just learners but partners, innovators, and leaders in learning process

He maintained that this UNICEF’s position is driving real change across parts of the country especially through Generation Unlimited Nigeria -GenU 9JA, a national youth empowerment platform led by the global body.

Deputy Director Youths Empowerments in Borno State Ministry of Youths and Sports, Hajiya Adama Alkali, said young people bring a lot of energy, creativity and innovation into any meaningful engagement, stressing that more investment in their education is good for the society.

A digital quiz competition in English language and mathematics was held for public schools at the event. The commemoration also featured panelist discussion as panelists including children called for recognition of their voices.

“Children should not be seen as leaders of tomorrow but partners for today. We want to be part of decisions on issues affecting us because no one can understand the pain of children other than the children themselves,” said Ibrahim Sunoma, deputy speaker of the National Children Parliament.