In commemoration of the International Day of Education, the Initiative for Research, Innovation and Advocacy in Development (IRIAD) has once again drawn the Federal Government?s attention to the alarming statistics of out-of-school children.

In a press statement signed by the Director, Princess Hamman-Obels, over the weekend, the group reminded the government that approximately 18.3 million children remained out of school as of late 2024, making Nigeria the country with the highest number of out-of-school children globally.

The group further highlighted the chronic underfunding of education, with only 7.3% of the national budget allocated to education, far below UNESCO?s recommended 15?20%.

It noted that this underfunding is a key factor contributing to dilapidated infrastructure, overcrowded classrooms, and inadequate teaching resources. These issues, it indicated, are compounded by poor pupil-teacher ratios and a lack of basic amenities in schools.

Despite these challenges, IRIAD acknowledged recent progress made by some Nigerian states, such as Enugu, Jigawa, Kano, and Kaduna, which allocated over 26% of their budgets to education in 2025. (The Sun)