Mr Sununu said the national target is to reduce out-of-school-children numbers by at least a quarter in the next two years.
The Nigerian government has set a target of reducing the number of out-of-school children in the country by at least a quarter in the next two years.
The Minister of State for Education, Yusuf Sununu, disclosed this at the opening ceremony of the maiden edition of the Basic Education Summit in Nigeria in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital.
"Mr Sununu said the national target is to reduce out-of-school children numbers by at least a quarter in the next two years," said a statement by the ministry's spokesperson, Ben Goong.
Mr Sununu, therefore, called on authorities in the three tiers of government as well as the private sector to drive an intensive enrollment to reduce the phenomenon.
He said commitment and team work by stakeholders are critical elements needed to eradicate the phenomenon.
Mr Sununu noted that in spite of the significant development strides in the country's education sector, the large number of out-of-school-children remains shocking and unacceptable, calling on all hands to stay on deck "in our national resolve to confront the ugly phenomenon."
The minister added that the administration of President Bola Tinubu is committed to creating policies and ideas that will take the Nigerian education system to enviable heights.
Out-of-school children in Nigeria
There is no agreed data on the number of out-of-school children in Nigeria.
The former education minister, Adamu Adamu, repeatedly rejected the data from the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) and the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), which put the figure at 18.5 and 20 million respectively. Until his tenure as minister ended, Mr Adamu maintained that the figure remained 6.98 million.
Basic education summit
The theme for the summit is: "Improving Access to Quality and Inclusive Education for all Children in Nigeria Towards Achieving the Sustainable Development Goal 4".
The minister, who described the theme as apt and timely, added that the challenges of the sector are not insurmountable.
He added that determination, good thinking, planning, creative ideas, commitment and teamwork would do the job.
According to the minister, the summit is designed to address current and emerging issues in basic education, including poor enrollment, foundational learning and numeracy, security and safety of schools, funding, research, capacity building and teacher professional development among others.
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"Nigeria must return to the good old days"
In his keynote address, the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Umo Eno, said Nigeria must return to the good old days where he noted the necessary facilities for teaching and learning were provided for basic schools.
He listed the facilities to include accommodation for teachers on school premises for effective supervision of school activities.
Mr Eno said his administration would lead by example in that regard.
He noted that the summit marks a significant step towards revolutionising the landscape of basic education in Nigeria, ensuring that stakeholders gain comprehensive insights into the nuances that define basic education in the country.
Governor Umo reaffirmed the committment of states to key into the policies and programmes of the federal government, adding that "the success of our endeavours hinges on the harmonisation and coordination of resources and activities in the subsector," even as he reiterated that the future of Nigeria lies in the hands of children.
Qosim Suleiman is a reporter at Premium Times in partnership with Report for the World, which matches local newsrooms with talented emerging journalists to report on under-covered issues around the globe
