UNICEF: 70% of schoolchildren in Nigeria not getting quality education

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) says 70 percent of school children in Nigeria are not benefitting from quality education.

According to NAN, Geoffrey Njoku, UNICEF communications specialist, said this on Friday during a two-day media dialogue on sustainable development goals (SDGs) in Kano.

Njoku said it is important to ensure that teachers undergo proper training to strengthen the education system in the country.

“Since 2010, we have pushed to change the narrative of the 10.5 million out-of-school children but even at that, 70 percent of those in schools are not learning,” he said.

“We need to include these 70 percent in school who are not learning to the 10.5 million out-of-school children, so that proper attention will be given to them.

“So, it is high time we focused on learning by revamping the education system through teachers’ training, changing the curriculum and changing the narrative through quality education.”

Rahama Farah, chief of UNICEF field office in Kano who was represented by Ehadji Diop, said the government needs to do more to improve the education sector.

“According to the World Bank, Nigeria is experiencing learning poverty in which 70 percent of 10-year-olds cannot understand a simple sentence or perform basic numeracy task,” Diop said.

“To address the challenge, achieving basic learning outcomes at the foundational level of education is key.

“It is clear that to improve learning outcomes in Nigeria, achieving basic foundational skills at that level of learning cannot be overemphasised.

“So, we need to mobilise stakeholders to join forces in addressing the challenges of eradicating learning poverty in the country.”