The Federal Government has adopted Kaduna State’s household mapping model as the national framework for identifying out-of-school children, marking a major shift from estimate-based planning to data-driven interventions aimed at returning millions of children to classrooms across Nigeria.

The decision was announced on Thursday by the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, following a meeting with Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, according to a statement issued by the minister’s Special Adviser on Media and Communications, Ikharo Attah.

Under the new approach, the Federal Ministry of Education, in collaboration with the National Bureau of Statistics, will conduct a nationwide household mapping exercise across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory to determine the exact number of out-of-school children, where they live and the households they belong to.

The ministry said the exercise would replace the long-standing reliance on broad estimates with verified household-level data, enabling governments to design targeted interventions and deploy resources more effectively.

Speaking during the meeting, Alausa described the initiative as a significant step towards tackling one of Nigeria’s biggest education challenges.

He said, “With this exercise, we now know where these children are and the households they belong to. That gives us the opportunity to work closely with the Kaduna State Government to bring them back to school.”

The minister explained that education planning had, for years, relied largely on projections that did not accurately reflect the location of out-of-school children.

According to him, the nationwide household mapping exercise would provide verified information to guide policy decisions and ensure interventions reach children who need them most.

Using Kaduna as an example, Alausa noted that while previous estimates placed the number of out-of-school children in the state at about 585,000, the household mapping exercise conducted by the state government revealed that the actual figure was fewer than 200,000.

He commended Governor Uba Sani for pioneering a model that has provided a clearer understanding of the challenge and demonstrated how accurate data can improve education planning and service delivery.

“The Federal Ministry of Education is already working with the National Bureau of Statistics to replicate the same methodology nationwide,” the minister said, expressing confidence that the exercise would enable the government to plan better, deploy resources more efficiently and monitor progress in reducing the number of out-of-school children.

Alausa also reassured Nigerians that the initiative aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and would ensure that no child is left behind.

He said, “The nationwide household mapping exercise will provide the accurate data needed to support practical solutions, strengthen collaboration with state governments and development partners, and ensure that more out-of-school children are identified, enrolled and retained in school.”

In his remarks, Governor Uba Sani praised Alausa and the Minister of State for Education for the reforms being implemented in the education sector, describing their leadership as “encouraging and inspiring to state governments.”

The governor also commended President Tinubu for his continued support for education, saying the Federal Government’s commitment had created momentum for meaningful reforms across the country.

He reaffirmed Kaduna State’s commitment to working closely with the Federal Ministry of Education to expand access to quality education.

Sani added that education remained “one of the most important investments any government can make” and expressed satisfaction that Kaduna’s household mapping exercise had now been adopted as the national model.

Nigeria has one of the world’s largest populations of out-of-school children, a challenge driven by poverty, insecurity, socio-cultural barriers and inadequate education infrastructure.

The Federal Government has made expanding access to education a key pillar of the Renewed Hope Agenda, introducing reforms such as the Nigerian Education Data Initiative, school infrastructure upgrades, the student loan programme, curriculum reforms and measures aimed at improving data-driven planning.

Alausa has repeatedly stressed that reliable data is essential to reducing learning poverty and ensuring that interventions are directed to the children and communities that need them most.