As the global community marks International Literacy Day (ILD), the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) has urged governments across the federation to intensify efforts in reversing the country’s alarming education crisis.
In a statement signed by its National Secretary, Achike Chude, the NUJ described the annual observance as an opportunity for sober reflection on the state of literacy in Nigeria.
It warned that unless urgent measures are taken, millions of children will remain deprived of access to quality education, undermining the nation’s development prospects.
The Union expressed dismay at findings in UNESCO’s Global Education Monitoring Report, which showed that 251 million children worldwide are still out of school—a marginal reduction from 2015.
Sub-Saharan Africa, the report noted, continues to bear the heaviest burden, with an additional 12 million children excluded from education in recent years.
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Nigeria, according to the NUJ, contributes significantly to these grim statistics, accounting for about 15% of the world’s out-of-school population. The Union described the figure as both “unacceptable and dangerous,” particularly for a country with vast human capital potential.
Referencing UNICEF’s 2022 data, the NUJ highlighted that one out of every three Nigerian children is not in school.
The breakdown shows that 10.2 million children are missing from primary school, 8.1 million from junior secondary, while another 1.12 million have never had any form of schooling. A further 5.9 million dropped out before completing their education.
Beyond access, the Union raised the alarm over the declining quality of teaching, pointing to chronic underfunding as a root cause.
The NUJ further lamented the steady migration of Nigerian teachers to other countries in search of better opportunities, warning that this exodus is eroding the workforce needed to drive improvements in the sector.
Calling for decisive action, the Union urged both federal and state authorities to commit more resources to education, adopt people-centred policies, and provide attractive incentives for educators.
“A new, positive chapter must be written for Nigeria’s education system,” the NUJ said.
