The African Centre for Innovative Research and Development (AFRI-CIRD) has commended the Kaduna State Government for the public release of its 2025/2026 Annual School Census (ASC) and Out-of-School Children (OOSC) Mapping Reports, describing the exercise as a major milestone in evidence-based education planning.
In a statement, AFRI-CIRD praised Governor Uba Sani, Deputy Governor Dr Hadiza Balarabe, the Kaduna State Ministry of Education, the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), and development partners for producing what it described as one of the country’s most comprehensive education data systems.
According to the organisation, the reports were compiled through household-level data collection covering more than 360,000 households across the state’s 23 local government areas using digitised Education Management Information Systems (EMIS) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS).
The findings showed that Kaduna has 187,719 out-of-school children, a figure significantly lower than previous estimates of over 500,000.
AFRI-CIRD attributed the reduction to sustained investments in education, including free basic education, school feeding programmes and the state’s allocation of 25 per cent of its 2026 budget to the education sector.
The report also found that children aged six to 11 account for 64.6 per cent of the out-of-school population, while boys make up 56.7 per cent and girls 43.3 per cent. It added that more than 4,000 children living with disabilities, representing 1.43 per cent of the total, remain outside the formal school system.
It further revealed that over 91 per cent of affected households identified poverty as the main reason children were not enrolled or had dropped out of school. Kaduna North Senatorial District accounted for 51 per cent of the state’s out-of-school children, with Kubau Local Government Area recording the highest concentration.
Speaking on the report, AFRI-CIRD Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Mohammed Bello, said reliable data was essential for addressing the out-of-school children crisis.
“Kaduna State has demonstrated exemplary political will by institutionalising an evidence-based roadmap to bring our vulnerable children back into the classroom,” Bello said.
He added, “However, the true measure of success will lie in rigorous implementation, transparent accountability, and robust cross-sectoral partnerships that mobilize non-state actors, local communities, and global best practices.”
AFRI-CIRD also unveiled a three-phase framework to sustain the state’s education reforms.
The immediate phase recommends establishing a state out-of-school children task force, deploying teachers and resources based on data, and expanding conditional cash transfers and school feeding programmes.
For the medium term, the organisation called for stronger public-private partnerships, including collaboration with alternative learning systems such as Tsangaya and Almajiri schools, alongside investment in inclusive facilities for children with disabilities.
Its long-term recommendations include expanding foundational literacy and numeracy programmes and strengthening School-Based Management Committees (SBMCs) and Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs) to improve pupil retention, school safety and community accountability.
AFRI-CIRD noted that Kaduna’s household-based education mapping approach has already attracted recognition from international partners, including UNICEF and Save the Children International, and said the model could serve as a benchmark for education reforms across Nigeria.
The organisation reaffirmed its commitment to supporting governments and development partners through research, policy advisory services, monitoring and evaluation to improve access to quality education nationwide.
