Nigeria launches drive to return 500,000 out-of-school children to learning centres

The Federal Government has begun a programme to reintegrate more than 500,000 out-of-school children into learning centres across the country, in the first phase of a national literacy initiative.

The National Commission for Mass Literacy, Adult and Non-Formal Education (NMEC) announced the rollout on Tuesday at a two-day training for enumerators in Abuja.

Acting Executive Secretary of NMEC, Dr John Onimisi, said the exercise would capture data on young people aged 15 and above who either dropped out or never completed formal schooling.

He explained that the scheme would combine literacy and vocational training, with learners enrolled in non-formal education centres and some expected to transition to skills programmes after completion.

“The target is to ensure that these learners are enrolled and are able to complete the programme successfully,” he said.

According to him, the initiative will cover all 774 local government areas. A total of 376 enumerators from the 36 states and the FCT have been trained, while 250 facilitators will drive the exercise in Abuja.

He noted that data would be monitored in real-time through a dashboard linked to the National Identity Management System to ensure accurate tracking and follow-up.

“This is the first time since the 2010 National Literacy Survey that NMEC will be conducting such a large-scale data exercise, and the delay has largely been due to funding constraints,” he added.

Onimisi said the programme would run in phases, with the first literacy cycle lasting between six and nine months, depending on contact hours.

He commended the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, and the Universal Basic Education Commission for supporting the intervention, describing it as a renewed push to bridge the country’s literacy gaps.

NMEC’s Director of Programmes, Mr Samuel Aziba, said the training would enable enumerators to deploy digital devices for data collection. He added that pilot testing would begin in four FCT locations before a nationwide rollout.

Nigeria had more than 30 million non-literate adults as of 2021, according to NMEC.