UNICEF Kano Manager Warns That Nigeria’s Little Investment in Education is Affecting Children’s Learning

UNICEF has called for increased investments in Nigeria’s primary education sector to tackle challenges like low enrollment and inadequate learning outcomes. Michael Banda, UNICEF’s education manager in Kano, appealed for a two-day media dialogue in Zaria that started on Thursday.

Mr Banda stated that Nigeria is spending only 1.2 per cent of its GDP on education, far below the international benchmark of four to six per cent. He stressed that this underfunding affects the quality of primary education, where many children struggle with reading, writing, and arithmetic.

Mr Banda also noted that Nigeria faces twin crises of a high out-of-school population and learning poverty, particularly in the North-West region. He noted that the region’s participation rate in early childhood education stands at 42 per cent, below the national average of 63 per cent. This calls for increased investment.

He revealed that one in three children is out of school, with 10.2 million at the primary level and 8.1 million at the junior secondary level. He pointed out that insufficient domestic financing has led to a shortfall of 378,000 classrooms and approximately 278,000 teachers.

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