The Federal Government has announced renewed efforts to reduce the number of out-of-school children in Nigeria through coordinated reforms and targeted interventions across the country.

The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, disclosed this on Tuesday at the 2026 Basic Education in Nigeria Boot Camp Summit taking place in Jos, Plateau State.

The three-day summit, scheduled for April 28 to 30, is themed Enhancing Access to Inclusive Quality Education and Bridging the Gap for Out of School Children in Nigeria.

Alausa said the gathering comes at a critical time as the country seeks sustainable solutions to ensure every Nigerian child has access to quality basic education.

He acknowledged that despite ongoing reforms, Nigeria still faces a large number of out-of-school children as well as poor-quality education.

According to him, the country continues to struggle with inadequate infrastructure, a shortage of qualified teachers, weak literacy and numeracy levels, limited digital learning integration and unequal distribution of resources.

The minister said these challenges require urgent, innovative, and sustained responses from government, development partners, civil society, and the private sector.

He stated that the Federal Ministry of Education is pursuing reforms aimed at improving foundational learning through curriculum strengthening, teacher development, digital learning tools, improved monitoring systems, and targeted interventions to improve retention and performance.

Alausa added that under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, the ministry remains committed to inclusive, equitable, and quality education for all.

He said the government is expanding access to learning, strengthening alternative education pathways, promoting open schooling, and using digital platforms to reach underserved communities.

According to him, initiatives such as LUMINA 2030, EduRevamp, and Community of Practice are designed to tackle the out-of-school crisis holistically and sustainably.

A guest scholar from Kenya and Executive Director of Teaching at the Right Level Africa, Titus Syengo, described Nigeria’s estimated 18.5 million out-of-school children as a crisis that must be urgently addressed.

He noted that Nigeria’s educational progress has major implications for the rest of Africa.

Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang, represented by Deputy Governor Josephine Piyo, said the challenge represents millions of delayed dreams and untapped potential.

He warned that children excluded from education face greater risks of poverty, child labour, insecurity, and social exclusion.

Mutfwang said Plateau State has constructed 397 classrooms, renovated 557 others, drilled 33 motorised boreholes in schools, and supplied furniture to improve the learning environment.

He also announced that the summit would witness the launch of the National Policy on Alternative Learning Pathways and guidelines for the re-entry of pregnant and married adolescent girls into schools.

The summit is expected to produce practical strategies for identifying out-of-school children, reintegrating them into schools, and ensuring they complete their education.