FG to map households nationwide for accurate out-of-school data

The Federal Government has announced plans to adopt the Kaduna State household mapping model in its nationwide effort to obtain accurate data on out-of-school children across the country.

The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, disclosed this after a meeting with the Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, according to a statement issued on Thursday by the Minister’s Special Adviser on Media and Communications, Ikharo Attah.

Under the new framework, the Federal Ministry of Education, in collaboration with the National Bureau of Statistics, will conduct a nationwide household mapping exercise across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory to identify the actual number of children currently out of school, their locations and the households they belong to.

Alausa said the exercise would replace the use of broad projections with verified household-level data, enabling governments to design targeted interventions and deploy resources more effectively.

He said accurate data remained critical to tackling Nigeria’s out-of-school challenge, noting that previous estimates often failed to provide clear information on where affected children lived.

 Using Kaduna State as an example, the minister said earlier estimates had put the number of out-of-school children in the state at about 585,000, but the household mapping exercise conducted by the state government revealed that the actual figure was below 200,000.

 He commended Sani for initiating the model, describing it as a demonstration of how reliable data could improve education planning and service delivery.

 “The Federal Ministry of Education is already working with the National Bureau of Statistics to replicate the same methodology nationwide,” Alausa said.

 “With this exercise, we now know where these children are and the households they belong to. That allows us to work closely with the Kaduna State Government to bring them back to school.”

 He added that the nationwide mapping exercise would provide the data required to support practical solutions, strengthen collaboration with state governments and development partners, and ensure more out-of-school children were identified, enrolled and retained in schools.

 Alausa noted that education planning in the country had, for years, relied largely on projections, which often did not accurately capture the scale and location of the challenge.

 According to him, verified household data would help the government understand the specific barriers preventing children from attending school and develop interventions suited to different communities.

 “The nationwide household mapping exercise will provide the accurate data needed to support practical solutions, strengthen collaboration with state governments and development partners, and ensure that more out-of-school children are identified, enrolled and retained in school,” he said.

 Speaking on the initiative, Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, praised the education reforms being implemented by the Federal Ministry of Education, describing the efforts as encouraging for state governments.

 He said education remained one of the most important investments any government could make, adding that Kaduna State was committed to working with the Federal Government to expand access to quality education.

 Sani expressed satisfaction that the state’s household mapping model had been adopted as a national approach, saying accurate data would strengthen education policies and interventions.

 Nigeria has one of the world’s highest populations of out-of-school children, with the challenge linked to poverty, insecurity, socio-cultural barriers and inadequate education infrastructure.

 The Federal Government has identified expanding access to education as a major component of its Renewed Hope Agenda, introducing reforms including the Nigerian Education Data Initiative, school infrastructure upgrades, student loan scheme, curriculum reforms and data-driven planning measures.

 Alausa has repeatedly emphasised that reliable education data is essential to reducing learning poverty and ensuring that government interventions reach children and communities that need them most.