Ogun Assembly Partners with UNICEF to Combat Out-of-School Children Crisis
On 12th September 2024, Ogun State House of Assembly and UNICEF signed a commitment to address the rising rate of out-of-school children in Ogun State. During a meeting at the Assembly Complex in Abeokuta, UNICEF's Celine Lafoucriere highlighted the urgent need to tackle this issue, citing that Ogun has the highest out-of-school rate in the Southwest region.
Chris Oyeoku Okafor 
The Ogun State House of Assembly and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) have committed to addressing the alarming rate of out-of-school children in Ogun State. This commitment was formalized on Thursday during an advocacy visit by UNICEF's Chief of Lagos Field Office, Mrs. Celine Lafoucriere, and her team.
The meeting took place at the Assembly Complex in Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, where the two parties signed a certificate of commitment aimed at tackling the out-of-school children crisis in the state.
Mrs. Lafoucriere highlighted that this issue is a major concern for UNICEF. She emphasized that reducing the number of out-of-school children is a top priority for UNICEF Nigeria, which is working to accelerate efforts in this area.
According to the latest data, the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UBEC) audit reveals that there are still 10.2 million out-of-school children at the primary level and 8.1 million at the junior secondary level across Nigeria. The Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) 2021 indicates that 25.3% of Nigerian school-age children are not attending school, representing 15% of the global out-of-school population.
In Ogun State specifically, the statistics are concerning. Mrs. Lafoucriere reported that the out-of-school rate is 10.3% for primary schools, 12.1% for junior secondary schools, and 20.9% for upper secondary schools, totaling 43.3% for the entire state.
UNICEF Education Specialist Azuka Menkiti revealed that Ogun State has the highest rate of out-of-school children in the Southwest region. Menkiti identified poverty as the primary barrier to school access, exacerbated by the costs of education. She advocated for collaboration with traditional leaders, families, and other stakeholders to launch enrollment campaigns and increase the state ministry’s budget allocation for educational resources, infrastructure, and teaching staff.
Responding to the concerns, Speaker Oludaisi Elemide of the Ogun State House of Assembly acknowledged the urgent need to address the issue. He assured that the Assembly would collaborate effectively with UNICEF to enhance the educational standards in the state.
“We are committed to partnering with UNICEF to improve education in Ogun State,” Elemide affirmed.
This partnership between Ogun State and UNICEF marks a significant step towards mitigating the educational challenges facing the state and ensuring that more children have access to quality education.
