Nigeria’s Out-of-School Crisis Escalates to 18.3 Million Children Amid Inadequate 2026 Budgetary Funding

Nigeria faces an educational emergency as 18.3 million children remain out of school. Discover how the 2026 budget and rising insecurity fuel the crisis.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 23, 2026, 8:07 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from Punch Newspaper

The Persistent Failure of Educational Access

Nigeria continues to grapple with a profound social collapse as the number of children excluded from formal learning reaches unprecedented levels. A UNICEF report indicates that 10.2 million children are missing from primary education, while another 8.1 million are absent at the junior secondary level. The crisis is geographically concentrated, with approximately 66 percent of these children residing in the North-West and North-East regions. This enduring failure suggests that the country is struggling to maintain the basic tenets of social development and individual empowerment for its youngest citizens.

Budgetary Neglect and the UNESCO Benchmark

The financial priorities of the current administration have come under intense scrutiny following the unveiling of the 2026 appropriation bill. President Bola Tinubu’s government has proposed an allocation of 3.53 trillion Naira to the education sector, which represents a meager 6.1 percent of the total budget. This figure marks a downward trend from the 7.3 percent allocated in 2025 and sits far below the UNESCO recommendation of 15 to 20 percent of public expenditure. Such a funding gap ensures that the systemic shortcomings of the Nigerian education system will likely persist, leaving learning centers under-resourced and inaccessible.

Security Threats and Forced School Closures

The escalating out-of-school population is inextricably linked to the deteriorating security landscape across northern Nigeria. Bandits, terrorists, and kidnappers have increasingly targeted educational institutions, transforming schools into dangerous flashpoints. Consequently, many schools have been forced to suspend operations as a protective measure to prevent mass abductions and attacks. The recent killing of Brigadier General Hussaini Braima in Benisheikh highlights the ongoing volatility that makes teaching and learning nearly impossible in many communities, driving children away from classrooms and into a cycle of neglect.