Nigerian govt targets 10 million out-of-school children through HOPE-EDU reform

The Nigerian government has unveiled a new reform initiative, HOPE for Quality Basic Education for All (HOPE-EDU), aimed at addressing the country’s deep-rooted education challenges, including the crisis of out-of-school children and overcrowded classrooms.

The Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Aisha Garba, said the initiative would mark a turning point for the country’s basic education sector.

Speaking during a three-day sensitisation workshop for stakeholders from the South-south and South-east regions in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Ms Garba said Nigeria must confront the scale of its education crisis and expressed confidence in the initiative.

Represented by UBEC’s Deputy Executive Secretary (Technical), Rasaq Akinyemi, the UBEC boss said the success of the initiative hinges on transparency, accountability and collaboration.

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“We must be candid about the road ahead. Nigeria’s Basic Education faces very stark realities: over 10 million out-of-school children, overcrowded classrooms, and resource disparity that undermines equity,” she said.

Nigeria continues to struggle with high numbers of children outside the formal school system.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) estimated that around 18.9 million children in Nigeria are out of school, making the country one of the worst‑affected globally.

The figure includes millions of primary and junior secondary school‑age children who have never attended school or dropped out early, exacerbating long‑standing education challenges.

What HOPE-EDU promises

The initiative, unveiled by the Nigerian government, is designed to improve learning outcomes, expand access to quality basic education and strengthen education systems across participating states.

According to Ms Garba, the initiative will focus on foundational learning, particularly literacy and numeracy, with special attention to rural communities.

She said the reform adopts a performance-based funding model, tying disbursements to measurable results.

“HOPE-EDU is more than a funding mechanism; it is a promise fulfilled. Aligned seamlessly with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, this initiative targets the heart of our challenges in basic education,” she said.

The initiative aims to improve learning outcomes for over 29 million children, empower 500,000 teachers, construct 13,000 new classrooms and return more than 1.5 million out-of-school children to classrooms nationwide.

The Ministry of Education earlier announced the unlocking of $552 million under the initiative to accelerate reforms in the basic education sector.

The minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, described the milestone as the fastest activation of education financing of this scale in Nigeria’s history, achieved within 12 months.

Mr Alausa noted that the funding will strengthen foundational learning, expand access to quality basic education, and reinforce accountability across participating states.

“The HOPE for Quality Basic Education for All (HOPE-EDU) programme is co-financed by the World Bank and the Global Partnership for Education. It supports measurable reforms aligned with the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative (NESRI).”

Call for monitoring and equity

Ms Garba urged education stakeholders to ensure strict monitoring of the initiative.

She noted that there is need to prioritise the most marginalised including the girls, the orphans and the children in conflict zones.

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“Their education is not charity; it is the cornerstone of our democracy and economy,” she said.

The National Coordinator of HOPE-EDU, Layi Olatawura, also called on state governors to support the programme’s implementation in their respective states.

Mr Olatawura commended the federal government for increasing education funding in the 2026 budget, noting that sustained investment would be critical to achieving the programme’s goals.