In commemoration of the International Day of Education, The Initiative for Research, Innovation and Advocacy in Development, (IRIAD) has again drawn the attention of the federal government to the alarming statistics of out-of-school children in Nigeria.
In a press statement signed and issued on Friday – yesterday, January 24 -by the Director, Princess Hamman-Obels, IRIAD reminded the federal government of the inescapable reality of approximately 18.3 million Nigerian children remaining out of school as of late 2024, making Nigeria the country with the highest number of out-of-school children globally.
The group further pointed to chronic underfunding of education, which currently stands at 7.3% of the national budget contrary to UNESCO’s recommended 15-20%, explaining that underfunding is a key factor contributing to dilapidated infrastructure, overcrowded classrooms, and inadequate teaching resources.
These issues are compounded by poor pupil-teacher ratios and a lack of basic amenities in schools, IRIAD added.
Despite these challenges, however, the group acknowledged recent progress made by some Nigerian State governments, such as Enugu, Jigawa, Kano, and Kaduna, which allocated over 26% of their 2025 budgets to the education sector.
While commending these efforts, the organization emphasized that more comprehensive reforms are needed to address systemic issues and achieve Sustainable Development Goal 4, in order to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education for all.
The group urged the government to increase budgetary allocations for education and prioritize investments in infrastructure and teacher training, encouraging teachers to adopt innovative methods that integrate technology responsibly while fostering critical thinking.
Meanwhile,  IRIAD has urged the federal government through the Ministry of Education to support human agencies in a world of automation to aid human efforts in education.
Highlighting the critical role AI can play in revolutionizing education through tools such as adaptive learning systems that personalize instruction and automated grading systems that reduce teachers’ administrative workload, IRIAD noted that such innovations allow teachers to focus on fostering creativity and critical thinking among students.
IRIAD stressed that this advancement must be implemented equitably to ensure marginalized groups, such as girls and children with disabilities, are not left behind.
The group, therefore, suggested increased budgetary allocations for education and prioritized investments in infrastructure and teacher training, urging teachers to adopt innovative methods that integrate technology responsibly while fostering critical thinking.
