By Adamu Yusuf
The National Commission for Nomadic Education (NCNE) has commenced a three-day capacity-building workshop aimed at strengthening strategies to reduce the number of out-of-school nomadic children and youths across Nigeria through the Accelerated Basic Education Programme (ABEP).
Within nomadic communities comprising pastoralists, migrant farmers, and fisherfolk—about 5.5 million school-age children are estimated to be out of school, while total enrolment under NCNE currently stands at about 1.5 million.
The Executive Secretary of the commission, Professor Haruna Usman, stated this during his welcome address at the opening of the workshop held at the commission Headquarters in Kaduna
He said the training is designed to equip Commission staff with the knowledge and skills required for effective implementation of ABEP as a key intervention for addressing the growing challenge of out-of-school children among nomadic populations.
The Executive Secretary, Professor Haruna Usman who was represented by the Director of Extension Education and Skills Development, Dr. Abdu Umar Hardo, explained that the Commission is collaborating with the Federal Ministry of Education, alongside critical stakeholders to address the menace.
Other stakeholders including the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), the National Mass Education Commission, the National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School Children, and the National Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC).
Professor Haruna Usman noted that the ABEP curriculum, developed by NERDC, adopts a condensed learning approach targeted at children aged 9 to 13 who either never enrolled in school, dropped out, or could not continue their education.
According to him, unlike the conventional six-year primary education system, ABEP is designed to run for three years, enabling older out-of-school children to reintegrate into the education system more quickly.
Professor Haruna Usman disclosed that Nigeria has one of the highest numbers of out-of-school children globally, with estimates ranging from 12 million by government sources to about 18 million according to development partners.
He added that with the rapid growth of nomadic populations, the demand for education continues to rise, making urgent intervention imperative.
He further explained that the Commission now operates two learning pathways: the conventional formal education system and the accelerated pathway, which blends formal and non-formal education approaches to improve access, retention, and progression.
On the expected outcomes of the workshop, the Executive Secretary of the commission, Professor Haruna Usman, participants are expected to gain deeper understanding of ABEP, develop practical implementation plans, and collectively design strategies for the nationwide rollout of the programme.
He revealed that with support from UBEC, NCNE has conducted a mapping exercise on out-of-school children and youths in six states—Gombe, Jigawa, Niger, Enugu, Cross River, and Oyo—as well as the Federal Capital Territory, covering all geopolitical zones.
He described the findings as alarming, noting that nearly 60,000 out-of-school children and youths were identified in the sampled locations alone, he added that the consultant who conducted the study is expected to present detailed findings during the workshop.
Also speaking, the Director of Administration of NCNE, Bashir Muhammad Abbo, described the workshop as timely, noting that it comes at a period when the Federal Government is deeply concerned about the rising number of out-of-school children nationwide.
Mr. Abbo explained that this prompted a nationwide field data generation exercise conducted in November last year to determine the scale, distribution, and causes of out-of-school children and youths among nomadic populations.
He disclosed that preliminary findings from six pilot states and the FCT indicate that over 61,000 children and youths are out of school, with Jigawa State recording the highest number and Enugu State the least. On gender distribution, he said the data shows near parity, with about 52 percent male and 47 percent female.
According to him, the data also identified key drivers of school exclusion, including children who never enrolled and those who dropped out due to community-specific and socio-economic challenges. He stressed that addressing these root causes is critical to the success of any intervention.
Also in an interview with Radio Nigeria Kaduna, a consultant to NCNE, Professor Aminu Abdu Bichi, emphasized that credible, evidence-based data is essential for addressing out-of-school challenges within nomadic communities.
Professor Abdu Bichi of the African Institute for Solution Development, a Consultancy and Development Arm of Mariam Abacha University, said the data collected across six states and the FCT revealed that about 62 percent of nomadic out-of-school children had never attended school, while approximately 32 percent dropped out at the primary level. Smaller proportions exited at junior and senior secondary levels.
He noted that children with disabilities accounted for less than one percent of the sampled population, indicating that access and retention challenges are the major drivers of the crisis.
Professor Abdu Bichi added that although the study represents a sample, statistical extrapolation suggests a far larger national figure.
