… Nigeria’s 18.5m Out-Of-School Children Crisis Worsens
…. Analysts Warn Of Security, Poverty Fallout
Daud Olatunji
Imo, Ogun and Rivers states have emerged as the worst offenders among 21 states and the Federal Capital Territory that failed to access a combined ₦97.88bn in basic education funds, deepening Nigeria’s worsening out-of-school crisis.
Findings by PLATFORM TIMES showed that the funds, allocated under the Universal Basic Education Commission intervention scheme, remain unutilised largely due to the inability of state governments to provide the required counterpart funding.
An analysis of official records obtained through a Freedom of Information request by a legal team led by human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), revealed that Imo State tops the list with ₦10.6bn in unaccessed funds.
Ogun State follows with ₦9.7bn, while Rivers State ranks third with ₦7.8bn left untouched.
Other major defaulters include Niger, Abia and Oyo states, each with over ₦7bn in unaccessed allocations.
The Federal Capital Territory accounts for ₦5.07bn, while Ekiti, Bayelsa and Adamawa states each has over ₦3.5bn yet to be drawn.
In total, 21 states and the FCT have failed to access their UBEC allocations as of March 2026, despite Nigeria grappling with what global agencies describe as a full-blown education emergency.
Crisis amid rising out-of-school children
The development comes as Nigeria continues to record the highest number of out-of-school children globally, estimated at about 18.5 million.
Experts warn that the failure of states, particularly those with significant fiscal capacity to access available education funds reflects poor prioritisation and weak governance.
Further checks revealed that 2025 recorded the highest default under the UBEC scheme, with ₦68.1bn left unaccessed in a single year.
… Funding Bottleneck Persists
Under the UBEC framework, the Federal Government provides matching grants to states to support primary and junior secondary education.
However, states must provide 50 per cent counterpart funding before accessing the grants, a requirement many have failed to meet.
While some states have consistently complied with this condition, others have repeatedly defaulted, leading to a steady accumulation of unutilised funds.
In contrast, states such as Bauchi, Kaduna, Katsina, Delta, Enugu, Osun and Ondo have fully accessed their allocations, underscoring that the model is workable where there is political will.
,..Falana Faults Governments
Reacting, Falana accused state governments and the FCT of failing to uphold the legal guarantee of free and compulsory basic education.
“As of March 2026, many state governments have refused to access over ₦97bn from the UBEC fund,” he said.
“Apart from not accessing the grants, some states that accessed funds have also failed to properly utilise them to improve infrastructure and learning conditions.”
He lamented that despite multiple court rulings affirming the right to education, millions of Nigerian children remain out of school.
“The ruling class has consigned children of poor citizens to illiteracy and ignorance,” he added.
… Experts Demand Accountability
Stakeholders described the trend as a serious governance failure, calling for urgent intervention and sanctions against defaulting states.
A public affairs analyst, Mashood Osho, said the refusal to access the funds was inexcusable.
“This is not about lack of resources. Many of these states spend heavily on non-essential projects. The issue is priority,” he said.
Osho urged the Federal Government to enforce stricter compliance measures, including penalties for non-performing states.
Also speaking, youth development advocate, Abideen Olasupo, warned of the broader implications.
“When children are out of school, they become vulnerable to crime and exploitation. This is not just an education issue; it is a national security concern,” he said.
A World Bank education specialist, Aisha Garba, noted that weak state-level commitment could undermine international support for Nigeria’s education sector.
“If states cannot meet basic funding requirements, it raises serious concerns about governance capacity,” she said.
… Missed Opportunity
Education experts said the ₦97.88bn left unaccessed could have significantly improved infrastructure, increased teacher recruitment and expanded access to education across underserved communities.
A professor of education policy, Ibrahim Adewale, warned of long-term consequences.
“You are entrenching poverty and inequality by denying children access to education. This is a ticking time bomb,” he said.
…At Crossroads
As Nigeria battles a deepening education crisis, the failure of key states like Imo, Ogun and Rivers to access available funds highlights a troubling disconnect between policy and implementation.
Source :The Punch
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