FG ADOPTS KADUNA HOUSEHOLD MAPPING MODEL TO IDENTIFY OUT-OF-SCHOOL CHILDREN NATIONWIDE
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By Aishat Momoh. O.
The Federal Government has adopted Kaduna State’s household mapping model as the national framework for identifying out-of-school children, marking a shift from estimate-based planning to data-driven interventions aimed at returning millions of children to classrooms across Nigeria.
The decision was announced on Thursday by the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, following a meeting with Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, according to a statement issued by the minister’s Special Adviser on Media and Communications, Ikharo Attah.
Under the new approach, the Federal Ministry of Education, in collaboration with the National Bureau of Statistics, will conduct a nationwide household mapping exercise across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory to determine the exact number of out-of-school children, their locations and the households they belong to.
According to the ministry, the exercise will replace the long-standing reliance on broad estimates with verified household-level data, enabling governments to design targeted interventions and deploy resources more effectively.
Describing the initiative as a major milestone in addressing one of Nigeria’s most pressing education challenges, Alausa said the exercise would provide accurate information to guide government policies.
“With this exercise, we now know where these children are and the households they belong to. That gives us the opportunity to work closely with the Kaduna State Government to bring them back to school,” he said.
The minister noted that education planning had for years relied largely on projections that failed to accurately identify the locations of out-of-school children.
He cited Kaduna State as an example, explaining that while previous estimates put the number of out-of-school children in the state at about 585,000, the household mapping exercise conducted by the state government revealed that the actual figure was fewer than 200,000.
Alausa commended Governor Uba Sani for pioneering the initiative, describing it as a model that has improved education planning through accurate and verifiable data.
“The Federal Ministry of Education is already working with the National Bureau of Statistics to replicate the same methodology nationwide,” he said.
He expressed confidence that the nationwide exercise would enable the government to plan more effectively, allocate resources efficiently and monitor progress in reducing the number of out-of-school children across the country.
The minister added that the initiative aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and would strengthen collaboration with state governments and development partners.
“The nationwide household mapping exercise will provide the accurate data needed to support practical solutions, strengthen collaboration with state governments and development partners, and ensure that more out-of-school children are identified, enrolled and retained in school,” he said.
In his remarks, Governor Uba Sani commended Alausa and the Minister of State for Education for the ongoing reforms in the education sector, describing their leadership as inspiring to state governments.
He also praised President Tinubu for prioritising education, saying the Federal Government’s commitment had created momentum for meaningful reforms nationwide.
Sani reaffirmed Kaduna State’s commitment to working closely with the Federal Ministry of Education to improve access to quality education, adding that education remains one of the most important investments any government can make.
He expressed satisfaction that Kaduna’s household mapping initiative had now been adopted as the national model for identifying out-of-school children.
Nigeria has one of the largest populations of out-of-school children globally, with poverty, insecurity, socio-cultural barriers and inadequate educational infrastructure contributing significantly to the challenge.
The Federal Government has identified expanding access to education as a key component of the Renewed Hope Agenda, introducing reforms including the Nigerian Education Data Initiative, school infrastructure upgrades, the student loan programme, curriculum reforms and other measures aimed at strengthening data-driven education planning.
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