Key players call for collective effort to address issue of kids missing out on education

Nigeria's banking, philanthropy, government, corporate, and civil society sectors have come together to urge for increased collaboration to tackle the country's escalating out-of-school children crisis, cautioning that inaction could jeopardize national development, economic growth, and security.

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This call to action was made at the 4th Education Summit 2026, hosted by the Ibironke Adeagbo Foundation in Lagos, where attendees discussed practical strategies for enhancing access to education and reducing the number of children excluded from schooling.

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Nigeria is currently facing the world's most severe out-of-school children crisis, with estimates suggesting that between 14.8 million and 18.3 million children are absent from primary and junior secondary levels.

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Speaking virtually at the summit, which was held at Four Points by Sheraton, Oniru, Lagos, Ibironke Adeagbo, the founder of the foundation, emphasized that addressing the education crisis is a collective responsibility and a matter of enlightened self-interest.

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According to Adeagbo, sustainable progress can only be achieved through deliberate partnerships involving government institutions, development agencies, private sector organizations, and civil society groups, stressing that collective action is necessary to ensure every Nigerian child has access to quality education.

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Adeagbo noted that addressing the out-of-school children challenge is not just a social responsibility, but also an enlightened self-interest for all Nigerians, highlighting the need for a unified approach to tackle the crisis.

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The summit focused on the foundation's newly launched white paper, "The Danger of the Knowledge Gap," which examines the scale and implications of Nigeria's education crisis, highlighting concerns that millions of Nigerian children remain outside the formal education system.

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This development, experts warn, threatens the country's economic competitiveness, social cohesion, and democratic development, emphasizing the need for urgent action to address the crisis.

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Delivering the keynote address, Femi Falana, a human rights lawyer and patron of the foundation, urged citizens and advocacy groups to utilize the Freedom of Information Act to demand accountability in education funding and policy implementation.

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Falana emphasized that advocacy is not optional, stressing that greater public scrutiny of education budgets, expenditure, and outcomes would help drive reforms and improve learning opportunities for vulnerable children.

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He noted that transparency in the management of education resources remains critical to reversing poor school enrolment and learning outcomes across the country, highlighting the need for increased accountability.

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Representatives from various organizations, including SOS Children's Villages, the Aliko Dangote Foundation, the ACT Foundation, and Wellington College Lagos, attended the summit, which brought together stakeholders from diverse backgrounds.

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Participants agreed that fragmented interventions and isolated projects have produced limited results, calling for coordinated, data-driven, and community-based approaches capable of delivering measurable impact.

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According to the Executive Director of IA-Foundation, Olufunke Sotinwa, the scale of the challenge requires strategic partnerships that combine resources, expertise, and accountability mechanisms.

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Sotinwa stated that no single institution can solve the crisis alone, emphasizing that the foundation sees itself as a credible bridge between government and community, between ambition and accountability.

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The summit marked the beginning of a year-long engagement process aimed at translating discussions into concrete and adequately funded initiatives capable of producing measurable outcomes in communities across Nigeria.

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Sotinwa expressed confidence that sustained cooperation among stakeholders would help reduce the number of out-of-school children and strengthen the country's education system for future generations.

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Nigeria continues to grapple with one of the world's largest populations of out-of-school children, with education advocates warning that millions of children, particularly in rural and conflict-affected communities, remain excluded from formal education.

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The challenges posed by poverty, insecurity, inadequate infrastructure, child labor, and socio-cultural barriers have contributed to the crisis, which experts say poses significant risks to national development.

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Although the Federal Government and development partners have launched several interventions in recent years to boost school enrolment and improve learning outcomes, stakeholders at the summit maintained that stronger collaboration and sustained investment remain essential to achieving lasting results.