Alausa Adopts Kaduna Model For Out-of-School Children Census

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 improving school enrolment across Nigeria.

Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Olatunji Alausa, announced the decision during a meeting with Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani, saying the new approach would be implemented in all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

Under the initiative, the Federal Ministry of Education will work with the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) to conduct a nationwide household mapping exercise to determine the exact number of out-of-school children, where they live and the households they belong to.

Alausa said the exercise would replace the long-standing reliance on broad estimates with verified data, enabling governments to better target interventions and allocate resources.

“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,” the minister said.

He cited Kaduna as an example, noting that while previous estimates put the state’s out-of-school population at about 585,000, the household mapping exercise revealed the actual figure to be fewer than 200,000.

The minister commended Governor Uba Sani for pioneering the model, describing it as a practical demonstration of how accurate data can improve planning and service delivery in the education sector.

He said the nationwide exercise would provide the government with reliable information to plan effectively, deploy resources efficiently and monitor progress in reducing the number of out-of-school children.

Governor Uba Sani praised the education reforms being implemented by the Federal Government and reaffirmed Kaduna State’s commitment to collaborating with the ministry to expand access to quality education.

He also thanked President Bola Tinubu for supporting education reforms, saying the adoption of Kaduna’s household mapping exercise as a national model would help ensure that more children are identified, enrolled and retained in school.

Alausa said the initiative aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda and reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to ensuring that no child is left behind in accessing education.