The Federal Government has unveiled a new initiative known as the Lumina Programme to address the alarming number of out-of-school children in Nigeria, estimated at over 10 million.

The Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmad, made this known during the Adolescent and Youth Ministerial Dialogue on Wellbeing, Health, and Development held in Abuja on Tuesday

Prof. Ahmad, represented by Prof. Ali Idris, Senior Special Assistant to the Minister, explained that the programme would provide foundational literacy and numeracy education, especially targeting girls in hard-to-reach and underserved communities.

“There are over 10 million out-of-school children in Nigeria. To address this, we’ve introduced the Lumina programme, targeting hard-to-reach areas, especially girls. The programme aims to provide literacy and numeracy education,” she said.

She noted that online registration for the programme has already begun, with full implementation scheduled to commence in the next two months.

The Lumina Programme is part of broader government efforts under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda to reduce educational disparities and improve access to basic education for vulnerable children nationwide.

Call for implementation 

Deputy Speaker of the Nigerian Children’s Parliament, Ibrahim Sunnoma, called on the government to move beyond promises and focus on implementation.

“There are many laws and policies already in place. What we need now is implementation. Words are just air in motion; action must be our foundation,” Sunnoma said.

He also urged the government to pay attention to street children and vulnerable groups, particularly the Almajiris in northern Nigeria.

“I urge the government to prioritise children on the streets, especially the Almajiris. Strengthen the Almajiri system, integrate western education, and provide shelter, food, and a sustainable livelihood,” he added.

The Federal Government last month disclosed that it is developing a national policy aimed at integrating Quranic and modern education to tackle the Almajiri street-begging crisis.

A bill is being prepared for presentation to the National Assembly to provide legal backing for this initiative. The new approach adopts a bottom-up model involving local communities and state governments to ensure long-term sustainability.

The proposed policy includes infrastructure development, teacher incentives, legal safeguards, and mechanisms to hold parents accountable.

According to the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmad, the initiative has gained support from the National Security Adviser, state governors, and legislators. She also highlighted the administration’s significant investments in education, which include the construction of 7,200 new schools, the renovation of 195,000 classrooms, the training of one million teachers, and the distribution of 103 million textbooks and two million teaching aids.

The World Bank has also raised concerns, noting that Nigeria has the highest number of out-of-school children globally, with over 11 million children aged 6 to 15 out of school.

It stated that addressing this issue will require multi-dimensional solutions, including eliminating school fees, offering cash transfers, changing socio-cultural norms, expanding access through school construction, and improving educational governance and financing systems.