116bn for NELFUND, Zero for Almajiri, Out-of-School Children Commission, Fund the Commission or Scrap It
Tijjani Mukaddas
The neglect of the National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School Children (NCAOOSC) is one of the greatest contradictions of the current administration’s promises on education. While the government through various sources has allocated over ₦116 billion to the Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) in than two years, including donation from EFCC, the commission tasked with addressing the crisis of out-of-school children remains underfunded and inactive. If education is truly a priority, why is the fate of millions of vulnerable children left hanging on empty promises?
The NCAOOSCE was one of the last major appointments under former President Buhari, created to spearhead critical interventions for Almajiri and out-of-school children. Its establishment raised hope that, at last, Nigeria would take decisive action to tackle the growing crisis of out-of-school children. Yet, nearly two years into President Tinubu’s administration, not a single capital project has been implemented by the commission. This is the same government that repeatedly assures Nigerians of its commitment to education, yet it has turned a blind eye to the reality of northern Nigeria’s educational crisis. The same urgency given to higher education funding through NELFUND should also be applied to basic education and Almajiri reforms, as no society can build a strong education system from the top down.
The neglect of the NCAOOSC is not only the fault of the executive; the National Assembly is also complicit. In October 2024, lawmakers pledged to convene a national submit on out-of-school children. Yet, after six months, nothing has been done. There is no sign of a strategic plan, no clear budgetary framework, and no tangible interventions. The 2024 budget is already being executed, but how much was allocated to NCAOOSCE? More importantly, what was allocated to the commission in 2025? Will the government continue to ignore this crisis while pouring billions into infrastructure projects and higher education loans?
One of the government’s justifications for its spending priorities is infrastructure development. Roads, bridges, railways, and power projects are all essential, but what value do they hold if the country’s human capital is neglected? Education is the foundation of development. Without a literate and skilled population, infrastructure alone cannot drive economic progress or national security. Northern Nigeria continues to bear the worst impact of this neglect. Despite the millions of out-of-school children in the region, no governor has allocated even ₦10 billion for Almajiri and out-of-school children’s education. This is not just a policy failure; it is a moral failure.
These children, who roam the streets in search of survival, are also Nigerians. They deserve a share of the national wealth just like students benefiting from NELFUND. The government cannot continue to prioritize students already in the system while ignoring those who have been systematically excluded. Education policies should not just focus on those who are privileged enough to gain access to higher education; they should ensure that every Nigerian child has a fair opportunity to receive basic education. Without urgent intervention, the number of out-of-school children will continue to rise, deepening poverty, insecurity, and instability in the country.
The consequences of this neglect are already evident. The streets of northern Nigeria are filled with young boys begging for food, sleeping in makeshift shelters, take to streets to scavenge and growing up without any hope of a better future. Without access to education, these children are more likely to fall victim to exploitation, forced labour, radicalization, and criminal activities. The government often speaks about tackling insecurity, yet it refuses to address one of its root causes of lack of education. The failure to integrate these children into the formal education system means that the cycle of poverty and insecurity will persist for generations.
If the federal government no longer sees the need for the NCAOOSCE, it should scrap the commission entirely instead of leaving it to rot in irrelevance. It is a disservice to millions of Nigerian children to keep the commission as an empty, powerless agency. However, if the government is serious about tackling the out-of-school children’s crisis, it must provide adequate funding and ensure that the commission implements its programmes across the country. There is no justification for maintaining a commission without giving it the resources to function.
Our elected members in the National Assembly must wake up. This crisis affects all of us. The continued neglect of out-of-school children will have dire consequences for Nigeria as a whole. If the government continues to abandon its responsibilities, these children will not disappear, they will grow into frustrated, uneducated, and disenfranchised youth. The time for action is now. Either fund the commission and allow it to execute its mandate or scrap it and let Nigerians know where the government truly stands on this issue. Out-of-school children cannot continue to wait while the government engages in empty rhetoric and petty political games.
