Osun Out-of-School Children Crisis prompts AI and digital learning rollout as state targets 297,000 children outside formal education

The Osun State Government has intensified efforts to address the Osun Out-of-School Children Crisis, deploying Artificial Intelligence-powered learning tools and digital education platforms in response to data showing that nearly 297,000 children remain outside formal schooling across the state.

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The initiative was highlighted during a two-day Media Dialogue on Digital Learning, Artificial Intelligence and Skill Development for Out-of-School Children organised by the Osun State Ministry of Education in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Osogbo.

According to the latest Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS-6) conducted by the National Bureau of Statistics in partnership with UNICEF, Osun State records a 13 per cent out-of-school rate, the highest in the South-West region. The figures translate to an estimated 297,000 children, mostly aged between six and 11, who are not enrolled in basic education.

The survey further showed a gender disparity, with 14.88 per cent of boys affected compared to 11.50 per cent of girls. Although officials say the percentage has improved slightly in recent years, population growth continues to sustain the high absolute number of affected children.

Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education, Murtala Adekilekun Kehinde Jimoh, described the situation as one of the most urgent educational challenges facing the state and Nigeria at large.

Jimoh said the government is adopting a multi-pronged strategy anchored on technology, partnerships and community engagement to reverse the trend and improve access to education.

“Education remains the most powerful tool for human development, social transformation and economic growth. However, many children remain excluded from formal education due to socio-economic, cultural, geographical and security-related challenges,” he said.

He noted that digital learning platforms and AI tools now offer a transformative opportunity to bridge learning gaps, support teachers and reach vulnerable children who are outside the traditional school system.

The Osun official highlighted the Nigeria Learning Passport initiative, developed in partnership with UNICEF, as a key intervention already expanding access to digital education resources.

Jimoh also revealed that out-of-school children are largely concentrated in urban centres such as Osogbo, Ede, Ile-Ife and Ilesa, adding that the establishment of learning centres and special schools has helped reduce street-level cases.

“We have established learning centres and schools specifically designed to accommodate these children and help them reintegrate into the education system. Through these combined efforts, we are making steady progress,” he said.

UNICEF officials, however, warned that Nigeria’s education crisis extends beyond access, describing it as a deeper challenge of “learning poverty.”

Chief of UNICEF’s Lagos Field Office, Celine Lafoucriere, said only one in four Nigerian children who attend school can read properly and perform basic arithmetic by age 14.

“Think about that for one second. Of all the children in Nigeria who actually go to school, only one in four can read properly and do basic math at age 14,” she said.

Lafoucriere cautioned that children excluded from school face even greater risks of marginalisation in a rapidly digitising world, where technological literacy is increasingly essential.

“The children who know how to use these technologies will have a chance. The ones who don’t will be left out,” she warned.

UNICEF Education Specialist Harold Kpojime disclosed that Nigeria currently has nearly 20 million out-of-school children, describing the figure as the highest globally.

He said the estimate was derived from a nationwide survey covering over 9,600 households and assessments involving more than 22,000 children aged five to 17.

Kpojime stressed that accurate data and sustained investment are critical to addressing the crisis, noting that dropout rates increase sharply as children progress through the education system.

Education stakeholders at the dialogue agreed that while technology alone cannot solve the problem, AI-driven learning tools, when combined with strong policy interventions, could significantly expand access and improve learning outcomes.

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They emphasised that tackling the Osun Out-of-School Children Crisis will require sustained investment in schools, teacher development, poverty reduction and community mobilisation to ensure that every child has access to quality education and future-ready skills.