Governors of the 36 states of the federation have expressed worry that the country is faced with a challenging crisis in education, saying foundational skills are critical building blocks for achieving educational objectives.

Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) and Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, stated this on Thursday in Abuja, during the State-Level Workshop on Foundational Learning and Out-of-School Children.

Nigeria is grappling with several challenges in the education sector including the issue of out-of-school children.

In January this year, the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, said the federal government was working closely with state governors to address the issue of out-of-school children, stressing that the number of out-of-school children was mind-boggling and disturbing.

He disclosed this during the 2025 budget defence session hosted by the Joint Committee on Tertiary Institutions, TETFund, and Education at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja.

Governor AbdulRazaq in his speech read by NGF Education Advisor, Leo The Great, said, “Nigeria is faced with a crisis. We are dealing with some out-of-school children. However, enrollment in school for most children does not translate into actual learning.”

He disclosed that nationwide data indicates a 66% out-of-school rate among primary school-age children in Nigeria, noting that the poor quality of education has led to high dropout rates, as well as low transition and completion levels.

??”Foundational skills are not merely the end goal of an educational system; they are also critical building blocks for achieving other educational objectives, including retention and progression from one level to the next.

“As critical stakeholders in the education ecosystem, we understand that there is now a focus standing on the provision of quality education, especially for foundational learning, to enhance the success of globally tested learning methodology and technology,” he said.

??As part of the challenges, the Kwara State Governor expressed concern that the education sector’s workforce is both insufficient and undervalued. “Specifically, basic education and the course of national governance in Nigeria are underfunded,” he said.

He enumerated some of the challenges to include “Lack of characterisation of the issues of conditional training, absence of appropriate learning materials and independent training and literacy, lack of familiarity with recent research in the operations of conditional training and digital literacy skills.

?”Also, weak local capacity and monitoring and evaluation of conditional training disruptions and outcomes, insufficiency of available points, low level of awareness and support from families and communities for conditional training skills, and lack of commitment among state and non-state actors in addressing these challenges are key factors in developing the education sector and in feeding on basic proficiency in numeracy and literacy in Nigeria.”

He said, “The Nigerian Governors Forum expects this workshop to strengthen motivation for federal and state policymakers in driving and sustaining evidence-based reforms to improve implementation of foundational learning and reduce the out-of-school children challenges across the states of the federation.”

In his remarks, the UBEC Executive Secretary, Aisha Garba, said despite ongoing political and systemic barriers, Nigeria’s education system still battles deep-rooted challenges.

??Garba, represented by UBEC Deputy Secretary, Technical, Rasaq Akinyemi, stressed the need for Nigeria to build on existing achievements and ensure inclusive education, affirming that every Nigerian child has the right to quality education.

?NewGlobe’s Vice President for Policy and Partnerships, Ifeyinwa Ugochukwu, also acknowledged that while notable progress has been made in expanding access to education across the states, much remains to be done to close the learning gap.

?“The issue at hand goes beyond out-of-school children. It is actually about whether the children who find their way to classrooms are learning, particularly in our rural communities,” she said. (Daily Trust)