The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has expressed concern over the 8-15% dropout rate among adolescents in primary and secondary schools across the Southwest region, which includes Ekiti, Oyo, Lagos, Ondo, Osun, and Ogun states.
UNICEF Education Specialist, Azuka Menkiti made this statement at the 2-day regional stakeholders meeting on out-of-school child retention, transition, and completion models held in Ibadan.
Speaking with journalists, Menkiti explained that the completion rates for primary and secondary school among adolescents aged 10 to 18 are 92% and 85%, respectively.
She warned that this shortfall could severely impact the education sector in both the state and the country if full retention and completion are not achieved.
Her words: "This is a two-day regional meeting for the Southwest zone of Nigeria. UNICEF is working to support states in enhancing retention, transition, and completion of secondary education for adolescents.
"This effort builds on about 10 years of intervention in girls' education, which has demonstrated successful, scalable interventions to bring girls to school and keep them there.
"UNICEF is supporting states to identify and address the factors driving dropout rates among adolescents.
"When we talk about out-of-school children, we look at it from different perspectives: those who have never enrolled in school, those likely not to enroll, and those who have dropped out.
"We are particularly focused on adolescents at risk of dropping out or not completing secondary education, especially in Southwestern states where enrollment rates are high but retention, transition, and completion rates need improvement.
"At this meeting, we have commissioners, SUBEB chairmen, permanent directors, and secretaries from various Southwest states who have come together to review successful intervention models and adapt them to their state contexts.
"We are advocating for these states to commit to ensuring adequate funding for secondary education and to develop credible data to support advocacy efforts for improving secondary education.
"For UNICEF, our work in education is focused on three core areas: system strengthening, expanding access to education, and supporting states in creating quality learning opportunities for children and adolescents.
"In terms of system strengthening, we are emphasizing evidence generation. To effectively advocate for support, states need credible data.
"We are also supporting states in developing plans and policies to create opportunities for children to transition to and complete secondary education.
"In terms of access, we are working with community structures, religious leaders, and others to address social norms that keep children out of school. There are both direct and indirect barriers to secondary education that need to be addressed.
"As the Nigerian constitution mandates that secondary education be free and compulsory for every child, we are working with commissioners to develop plans to address this in their states.
"The third area of our intervention focuses on scaling up foundational literacy and numeracy programs so that when children attend school, they are learning effectively and in an environment conducive to their education".
Also, UNICEF Education Specialist, Lagos office, Babangana Aminu, urged the government and education stakeholders to adopt fundamental literacy, numeracy, and transferable skills to address these persistent issues.
He said, "In terms of out-of-school children in the Southwest, about 80% of children are in school, according to the NBS multiple survey, but retention is still a major issue.
"The data shows that while 92% and 85% of children are completing primary and upper secondary education, this is still worrisome.
"There is a need for the government and stakeholders in the educational sector to address these issues, particularly around 21st-century fundamental literacy, numeracy, and transferable skills, which are essential for children to thrive in today's world".
UNICEF Programme Officer, Muhammed Okorie, stated that the purpose of the workshop was to design a model that works for each state to improve retention and ensure children complete their education.
"This meeting is to ensure that our children not only receive an education but also receive a quality education that is transformative.
"If we think about human capital development, these children are the driving force.
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"Our mandate is fulfilled only when every child's right to education is fully realized, protected, and upheld."
Oyo State Commissioner for Education, Science, and Technology, Professor Saliu Adelabu, acknowledged that the state once had the highest number of out-of-school children but noted significant improvements in recent data published by the World Bank and UNICEF.
He added that the influx of children from the northern part of the country poses a security threat to the state, but that the government is making efforts to address the situation.
"There has been tremendous improvement when you look at the World Bank data and that of UNICEF.
"Oyo State used to have the highest number of out-of-school children about two years ago, but we are now in a better position.
"The influx of young boys and girls from the northern part of the country is a security challenge, but we are not folding our arms.
"The Oyo State government, through the Ministry of Environment, is working to bring as many of these children back to school as possible. For those who cannot be reintegrated into formal education, we are providing vocational training opportunities".
