Nigeria’s Education Crisis Majorly Affects Girls, Kids with Disabilities- UNICEF

The United Nations Children’s Fund has noted that girls and children with disabilities are majorly affected by the education crisis in Nigeria.

This is as the group decried the education crisis bedeviling the country, noting that one-third of Nigerian children are not in school.

UNICEF made this known in its statement on Monday, to mark the International Day of Education, which is annually celebrated on January 24.

In the statement, UNICEF noted one in five out-of-school children in the world is from Nigeria.

The agency further noted that children who are more likely to be affected by the education crisis include girls, children with disabilities, children from the poorest households, in street situations, or affected by displacement or emergencies.

UNICEF also welcomed Nigeria’s move to allocate 7.2 per cent of its N17 trillion 2022 budget to the education sector.

Reacting to that, UNICEF representative in Nigeria, Peter Hawkins said, “The Nigerian Government has committed to increasing funding for education, which is a very important step – far too many Nigerian children today are not in the classroom – and for those who are, far too many are not getting a solid education that can translate into good prospects for their futures.”