THE Federal Government’s decision to conduct a nationwide household survey to establish the actual number of out-of-school children in Nigeria is commendable. This should help policymakers, development agencies and education stakeholders to tackle this menace confronting the education sector.Tunji Alausa, the Minister of Education, told the Afropolitan Podcast recently that the government was preparing to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the National Bureau of Statistics to conduct a grid-based household survey across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.He said the exercise, expected to last about eight months, would identify not only the number of out-of-school children but also the households and locations where they reside.Tellingly, Alausa said the widely cited figure of between 15 million and 17.5 million was substantially overstated. According to him, preliminary information available to the ministry suggested that the actual figure might be between seven million and eight million.“We do not have 15 million out-of-school children, and we’re going to prove it,” he said.The minister deserves credit for recognising the need for better data. Nigeria has not conducted a national population census in decades, and population projections can inevitably introduce uncertainties into estimates. Household-based enumeration, therefore, could provide a more useful basis for designing interventions.Indeed, Alausa cited Kaduna State, where the estimated number of out-of-school children reportedly fell from about 585,000 to approximately 190,000 after a household survey. He also referred to similar exercises in Kano, Zamfara and Sokoto states, which reportedly produced figures substantially different from previous projections.These examples, however, raise the question of evidence. Nigeria’s education crisis is too serious to be reduced to a contest of figures.Data provided by the World Bank suggests that there are over 11 million out-of-school children aged six to 15 in the country. UNICEF estimates have placed the figure as high as 18.3 million to 18.5 million when older age groups and secondary-school children are included.In 2024, the UNICEF Chief of Field Office in Kano, Mohammed Farah, said Nigeria had 10.5 million out-of-school children and that about 10 per cent of them were in Kano State. In 2022, the then UNICEF head of field office in Kano, Rahama Farah, cited a figure of 18.5 million, with 60 per cent of the children being girls.Related NewsNUT slams FG over King’s College concessionNigerians should own shares in Dangote refinery — Sanusi120 years on, 105 grid collapses: Why Nigeria still can’t keep the lights onThese differences may partly be explained by variations in methodology, age brackets, reference years and whether projected or household-level data are being used. That is precisely why the Federal Government must establish a universally accepted and transparent methodology.The government cannot reasonably tell UNESCO and UNICEF not to “give us that data” without first providing superior data of its own.International agencies do not conjure their figures from thin air; their estimates are based on methodologies and datasets that should be subjected to scrutiny.If Nigeria believes those estimates are wrong, it should demonstrate precisely where and why they are wrong.More importantly, even an estimate of seven million to eight million would represent a national emergency. The minister himself admitted that the figure would still be “too many.” That is the point that should dominate the national conversation.Former Emir of Kano and former Central Bank Governor, Muhammadu Sanusi II, has repeatedly drawn attention to the crisis, linking it to poverty, rapid population growth and the Almajiri system in Northern Nigeria.Poverty, insecurity, school closures, regional disparities and the indirect costs of education continue to keep millions of Nigerian children away from classrooms.Therefore, the government must publish the methodology, sampling framework, age categories, state-by-state findings and independent validation of the proposed survey. It should also reconcile its findings with existing World Bank and UNICEF estimates.Nigeria does not need a smaller out-of-school figure for international prestige. It needs the right figure for effective intervention. Whether the number is eight million, 11 million, 15 million or 18.5 million, every child outside school represents a failure that demands urgent action. Tunji Alausa, the Minister of Education, told the Afropolitan Podcast recently that the government was preparing to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the National Bureau of Statistics to conduct a grid-based household survey across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.He said the exercise, expected to last about eight months, would identify not only the number of out-of-school children but also the households and locations where they reside.Tellingly, Alausa said the widely cited figure of between 15 million and 17.5 million was substantially overstated. According to him, preliminary information available to the ministry suggested that the actual figure might be between seven million and eight million.“We do not have 15 million out-of-school children, and we’re going to prove it,” he said.The minister deserves credit for recognising the need for better data. Nigeria has not conducted a national population census in decades, and population projections can inevitably introduce uncertainties into estimates. Household-based enumeration, therefore, could provide a more useful basis for designing interventions.Indeed, Alausa cited Kaduna State, where the estimated number of out-of-school children reportedly fell from about 585,000 to approximately 190,000 after a household survey. He also referred to similar exercises in Kano, Zamfara and Sokoto states, which reportedly produced figures substantially different from previous projections.These examples, however, raise the question of evidence. Nigeria’s education crisis is too serious to be reduced to a contest of figures.Data provided by the World Bank suggests that there are over 11 million out-of-school children aged six to 15 in the country. UNICEF estimates have placed the figure as high as 18.3 million to 18.5 million when older age groups and secondary-school children are included.In 2024, the UNICEF Chief of Field Office in Kano, Mohammed Farah, said Nigeria had 10.5 million out-of-school children and that about 10 per cent of them were in Kano State. In 2022, the then UNICEF head of field office in Kano, Rahama Farah, cited a figure of 18.5 million, with 60 per cent of the children being girls.Related NewsNUT slams FG over King’s College concessionNigerians should own shares in Dangote refinery — Sanusi120 years on, 105 grid collapses: Why Nigeria still can’t keep the lights onThese differences may partly be explained by variations in methodology, age brackets, reference years and whether projected or household-level data are being used. That is precisely why the Federal Government must establish a universally accepted and transparent methodology.The government cannot reasonably tell UNESCO and UNICEF not to “give us that data” without first providing superior data of its own.International agencies do not conjure their figures from thin air; their estimates are based on methodologies and datasets that should be subjected to scrutiny.If Nigeria believes those estimates are wrong, it should demonstrate precisely where and why they are wrong.More importantly, even an estimate of seven million to eight million would represent a national emergency. The minister himself admitted that the figure would still be “too many.” That is the point that should dominate the national conversation.Former Emir of Kano and former Central Bank Governor, Muhammadu Sanusi II, has repeatedly drawn attention to the crisis, linking it to poverty, rapid population growth and the Almajiri system in Northern Nigeria.Poverty, insecurity, school closures, regional disparities and the indirect costs of education continue to keep millions of Nigerian children away from classrooms.Therefore, the government must publish the methodology, sampling framework, age categories, state-by-state findings and independent validation of the proposed survey. It should also reconcile its findings with existing World Bank and UNICEF estimates.Nigeria does not need a smaller out-of-school figure for international prestige. It needs the right figure for effective intervention. Whether the number is eight million, 11 million, 15 million or 18.5 million, every child outside school represents a failure that demands urgent action. He said the exercise, expected to last about eight months, would identify not only the number of out-of-school children but also the households and locations where they reside.Tellingly, Alausa said the widely cited figure of between 15 million and 17.5 million was substantially overstated. According to him, preliminary information available to the ministry suggested that the actual figure might be between seven million and eight million.“We do not have 15 million out-of-school children, and we’re going to prove it,” he said.The minister deserves credit for recognising the need for better data. Nigeria has not conducted a national population census in decades, and population projections can inevitably introduce uncertainties into estimates. Household-based enumeration, therefore, could provide a more useful basis for designing interventions.Indeed, Alausa cited Kaduna State, where the estimated number of out-of-school children reportedly fell from about 585,000 to approximately 190,000 after a household survey. He also referred to similar exercises in Kano, Zamfara and Sokoto states, which reportedly produced figures substantially different from previous projections.These examples, however, raise the question of evidence. Nigeria’s education crisis is too serious to be reduced to a contest of figures.Data provided by the World Bank suggests that there are over 11 million out-of-school children aged six to 15 in the country. UNICEF estimates have placed the figure as high as 18.3 million to 18.5 million when older age groups and secondary-school children are included.In 2024, the UNICEF Chief of Field Office in Kano, Mohammed Farah, said Nigeria had 10.5 million out-of-school children and that about 10 per cent of them were in Kano State. In 2022, the then UNICEF head of field office in Kano, Rahama Farah, cited a figure of 18.5 million, with 60 per cent of the children being girls.Related NewsNUT slams FG over King’s College concessionNigerians should own shares in Dangote refinery — Sanusi120 years on, 105 grid collapses: Why Nigeria still can’t keep the lights onThese differences may partly be explained by variations in methodology, age brackets, reference years and whether projected or household-level data are being used. That is precisely why the Federal Government must establish a universally accepted and transparent methodology.The government cannot reasonably tell UNESCO and UNICEF not to “give us that data” without first providing superior data of its own.International agencies do not conjure their figures from thin air; their estimates are based on methodologies and datasets that should be subjected to scrutiny.If Nigeria believes those estimates are wrong, it should demonstrate precisely where and why they are wrong.More importantly, even an estimate of seven million to eight million would represent a national emergency. The minister himself admitted that the figure would still be “too many.” That is the point that should dominate the national conversation.Former Emir of Kano and former Central Bank Governor, Muhammadu Sanusi II, has repeatedly drawn attention to the crisis, linking it to poverty, rapid population growth and the Almajiri system in Northern Nigeria.Poverty, insecurity, school closures, regional disparities and the indirect costs of education continue to keep millions of Nigerian children away from classrooms.Therefore, the government must publish the methodology, sampling framework, age categories, state-by-state findings and independent validation of the proposed survey. It should also reconcile its findings with existing World Bank and UNICEF estimates.Nigeria does not need a smaller out-of-school figure for international prestige. It needs the right figure for effective intervention. Whether the number is eight million, 11 million, 15 million or 18.5 million, every child outside school represents a failure that demands urgent action. Tellingly, Alausa said the widely cited figure of between 15 million and 17.5 million was substantially overstated. According to him, preliminary information available to the ministry suggested that the actual figure might be between seven million and eight million.“We do not have 15 million out-of-school children, and we’re going to prove it,” he said.The minister deserves credit for recognising the need for better data. Nigeria has not conducted a national population census in decades, and population projections can inevitably introduce uncertainties into estimates. Household-based enumeration, therefore, could provide a more useful basis for designing interventions.Indeed, Alausa cited Kaduna State, where the estimated number of out-of-school children reportedly fell from about 585,000 to approximately 190,000 after a household survey. He also referred to similar exercises in Kano, Zamfara and Sokoto states, which reportedly produced figures substantially different from previous projections.These examples, however, raise the question of evidence. Nigeria’s education crisis is too serious to be reduced to a contest of figures.Data provided by the World Bank suggests that there are over 11 million out-of-school children aged six to 15 in the country. UNICEF estimates have placed the figure as high as 18.3 million to 18.5 million when older age groups and secondary-school children are included.In 2024, the UNICEF Chief of Field Office in Kano, Mohammed Farah, said Nigeria had 10.5 million out-of-school children and that about 10 per cent of them were in Kano State. In 2022, the then UNICEF head of field office in Kano, Rahama Farah, cited a figure of 18.5 million, with 60 per cent of the children being girls.Related NewsNUT slams FG over King’s College concessionNigerians should own shares in Dangote refinery — Sanusi120 years on, 105 grid collapses: Why Nigeria still can’t keep the lights onThese differences may partly be explained by variations in methodology, age brackets, reference years and whether projected or household-level data are being used. That is precisely why the Federal Government must establish a universally accepted and transparent methodology.The government cannot reasonably tell UNESCO and UNICEF not to “give us that data” without first providing superior data of its own.International agencies do not conjure their figures from thin air; their estimates are based on methodologies and datasets that should be subjected to scrutiny.If Nigeria believes those estimates are wrong, it should demonstrate precisely where and why they are wrong.More importantly, even an estimate of seven million to eight million would represent a national emergency. The minister himself admitted that the figure would still be “too many.” That is the point that should dominate the national conversation.Former Emir of Kano and former Central Bank Governor, Muhammadu Sanusi II, has repeatedly drawn attention to the crisis, linking it to poverty, rapid population growth and the Almajiri system in Northern Nigeria.Poverty, insecurity, school closures, regional disparities and the indirect costs of education continue to keep millions of Nigerian children away from classrooms.Therefore, the government must publish the methodology, sampling framework, age categories, state-by-state findings and independent validation of the proposed survey. It should also reconcile its findings with existing World Bank and UNICEF estimates.Nigeria does not need a smaller out-of-school figure for international prestige. It needs the right figure for effective intervention. Whether the number is eight million, 11 million, 15 million or 18.5 million, every child outside school represents a failure that demands urgent action. “We do not have 15 million out-of-school children, and we’re going to prove it,” he said.The minister deserves credit for recognising the need for better data. Nigeria has not conducted a national population census in decades, and population projections can inevitably introduce uncertainties into estimates. Household-based enumeration, therefore, could provide a more useful basis for designing interventions.Indeed, Alausa cited Kaduna State, where the estimated number of out-of-school children reportedly fell from about 585,000 to approximately 190,000 after a household survey. He also referred to similar exercises in Kano, Zamfara and Sokoto states, which reportedly produced figures substantially different from previous projections.These examples, however, raise the question of evidence. Nigeria’s education crisis is too serious to be reduced to a contest of figures.Data provided by the World Bank suggests that there are over 11 million out-of-school children aged six to 15 in the country. UNICEF estimates have placed the figure as high as 18.3 million to 18.5 million when older age groups and secondary-school children are included.In 2024, the UNICEF Chief of Field Office in Kano, Mohammed Farah, said Nigeria had 10.5 million out-of-school children and that about 10 per cent of them were in Kano State. In 2022, the then UNICEF head of field office in Kano, Rahama Farah, cited a figure of 18.5 million, with 60 per cent of the children being girls.Related NewsNUT slams FG over King’s College concessionNigerians should own shares in Dangote refinery — Sanusi120 years on, 105 grid collapses: Why Nigeria still can’t keep the lights onThese differences may partly be explained by variations in methodology, age brackets, reference years and whether projected or household-level data are being used. That is precisely why the Federal Government must establish a universally accepted and transparent methodology.The government cannot reasonably tell UNESCO and UNICEF not to “give us that data” without first providing superior data of its own.International agencies do not conjure their figures from thin air; their estimates are based on methodologies and datasets that should be subjected to scrutiny.If Nigeria believes those estimates are wrong, it should demonstrate precisely where and why they are wrong.More importantly, even an estimate of seven million to eight million would represent a national emergency. The minister himself admitted that the figure would still be “too many.” That is the point that should dominate the national conversation.Former Emir of Kano and former Central Bank Governor, Muhammadu Sanusi II, has repeatedly drawn attention to the crisis, linking it to poverty, rapid population growth and the Almajiri system in Northern Nigeria.Poverty, insecurity, school closures, regional disparities and the indirect costs of education continue to keep millions of Nigerian children away from classrooms.Therefore, the government must publish the methodology, sampling framework, age categories, state-by-state findings and independent validation of the proposed survey. It should also reconcile its findings with existing World Bank and UNICEF estimates.Nigeria does not need a smaller out-of-school figure for international prestige. It needs the right figure for effective intervention. Whether the number is eight million, 11 million, 15 million or 18.5 million, every child outside school represents a failure that demands urgent action. The minister deserves credit for recognising the need for better data. Nigeria has not conducted a national population census in decades, and population projections can inevitably introduce uncertainties into estimates. Household-based enumeration, therefore, could provide a more useful basis for designing interventions.Indeed, Alausa cited Kaduna State, where the estimated number of out-of-school children reportedly fell from about 585,000 to approximately 190,000 after a household survey. He also referred to similar exercises in Kano, Zamfara and Sokoto states, which reportedly produced figures substantially different from previous projections.These examples, however, raise the question of evidence. Nigeria’s education crisis is too serious to be reduced to a contest of figures.Data provided by the World Bank suggests that there are over 11 million out-of-school children aged six to 15 in the country. UNICEF estimates have placed the figure as high as 18.3 million to 18.5 million when older age groups and secondary-school children are included.In 2024, the UNICEF Chief of Field Office in Kano, Mohammed Farah, said Nigeria had 10.5 million out-of-school children and that about 10 per cent of them were in Kano State. In 2022, the then UNICEF head of field office in Kano, Rahama Farah, cited a figure of 18.5 million, with 60 per cent of the children being girls.Related NewsNUT slams FG over King’s College concessionNigerians should own shares in Dangote refinery — Sanusi120 years on, 105 grid collapses: Why Nigeria still can’t keep the lights onThese differences may partly be explained by variations in methodology, age brackets, reference years and whether projected or household-level data are being used. That is precisely why the Federal Government must establish a universally accepted and transparent methodology.The government cannot reasonably tell UNESCO and UNICEF not to “give us that data” without first providing superior data of its own.International agencies do not conjure their figures from thin air; their estimates are based on methodologies and datasets that should be subjected to scrutiny.If Nigeria believes those estimates are wrong, it should demonstrate precisely where and why they are wrong.More importantly, even an estimate of seven million to eight million would represent a national emergency. The minister himself admitted that the figure would still be “too many.” That is the point that should dominate the national conversation.Former Emir of Kano and former Central Bank Governor, Muhammadu Sanusi II, has repeatedly drawn attention to the crisis, linking it to poverty, rapid population growth and the Almajiri system in Northern Nigeria.Poverty, insecurity, school closures, regional disparities and the indirect costs of education continue to keep millions of Nigerian children away from classrooms.Therefore, the government must publish the methodology, sampling framework, age categories, state-by-state findings and independent validation of the proposed survey. It should also reconcile its findings with existing World Bank and UNICEF estimates.Nigeria does not need a smaller out-of-school figure for international prestige. It needs the right figure for effective intervention. Whether the number is eight million, 11 million, 15 million or 18.5 million, every child outside school represents a failure that demands urgent action. Indeed, Alausa cited Kaduna State, where the estimated number of out-of-school children reportedly fell from about 585,000 to approximately 190,000 after a household survey. He also referred to similar exercises in Kano, Zamfara and Sokoto states, which reportedly produced figures substantially different from previous projections.These examples, however, raise the question of evidence. Nigeria’s education crisis is too serious to be reduced to a contest of figures.Data provided by the World Bank suggests that there are over 11 million out-of-school children aged six to 15 in the country. UNICEF estimates have placed the figure as high as 18.3 million to 18.5 million when older age groups and secondary-school children are included.In 2024, the UNICEF Chief of Field Office in Kano, Mohammed Farah, said Nigeria had 10.5 million out-of-school children and that about 10 per cent of them were in Kano State. In 2022, the then UNICEF head of field office in Kano, Rahama Farah, cited a figure of 18.5 million, with 60 per cent of the children being girls.Related NewsNUT slams FG over King’s College concessionNigerians should own shares in Dangote refinery — Sanusi120 years on, 105 grid collapses: Why Nigeria still can’t keep the lights onThese differences may partly be explained by variations in methodology, age brackets, reference years and whether projected or household-level data are being used. That is precisely why the Federal Government must establish a universally accepted and transparent methodology.The government cannot reasonably tell UNESCO and UNICEF not to “give us that data” without first providing superior data of its own.International agencies do not conjure their figures from thin air; their estimates are based on methodologies and datasets that should be subjected to scrutiny.If Nigeria believes those estimates are wrong, it should demonstrate precisely where and why they are wrong.More importantly, even an estimate of seven million to eight million would represent a national emergency. The minister himself admitted that the figure would still be “too many.” That is the point that should dominate the national conversation.Former Emir of Kano and former Central Bank Governor, Muhammadu Sanusi II, has repeatedly drawn attention to the crisis, linking it to poverty, rapid population growth and the Almajiri system in Northern Nigeria.Poverty, insecurity, school closures, regional disparities and the indirect costs of education continue to keep millions of Nigerian children away from classrooms.Therefore, the government must publish the methodology, sampling framework, age categories, state-by-state findings and independent validation of the proposed survey. It should also reconcile its findings with existing World Bank and UNICEF estimates.Nigeria does not need a smaller out-of-school figure for international prestige. It needs the right figure for effective intervention. Whether the number is eight million, 11 million, 15 million or 18.5 million, every child outside school represents a failure that demands urgent action. These examples, however, raise the question of evidence. Nigeria’s education crisis is too serious to be reduced to a contest of figures.Data provided by the World Bank suggests that there are over 11 million out-of-school children aged six to 15 in the country. UNICEF estimates have placed the figure as high as 18.3 million to 18.5 million when older age groups and secondary-school children are included.In 2024, the UNICEF Chief of Field Office in Kano, Mohammed Farah, said Nigeria had 10.5 million out-of-school children and that about 10 per cent of them were in Kano State. In 2022, the then UNICEF head of field office in Kano, Rahama Farah, cited a figure of 18.5 million, with 60 per cent of the children being girls.Related NewsNUT slams FG over King’s College concessionNigerians should own shares in Dangote refinery — Sanusi120 years on, 105 grid collapses: Why Nigeria still can’t keep the lights onThese differences may partly be explained by variations in methodology, age brackets, reference years and whether projected or household-level data are being used. That is precisely why the Federal Government must establish a universally accepted and transparent methodology.The government cannot reasonably tell UNESCO and UNICEF not to “give us that data” without first providing superior data of its own.International agencies do not conjure their figures from thin air; their estimates are based on methodologies and datasets that should be subjected to scrutiny.If Nigeria believes those estimates are wrong, it should demonstrate precisely where and why they are wrong.More importantly, even an estimate of seven million to eight million would represent a national emergency. The minister himself admitted that the figure would still be “too many.” That is the point that should dominate the national conversation.Former Emir of Kano and former Central Bank Governor, Muhammadu Sanusi II, has repeatedly drawn attention to the crisis, linking it to poverty, rapid population growth and the Almajiri system in Northern Nigeria.Poverty, insecurity, school closures, regional disparities and the indirect costs of education continue to keep millions of Nigerian children away from classrooms.Therefore, the government must publish the methodology, sampling framework, age categories, state-by-state findings and independent validation of the proposed survey. It should also reconcile its findings with existing World Bank and UNICEF estimates.Nigeria does not need a smaller out-of-school figure for international prestige. It needs the right figure for effective intervention. Whether the number is eight million, 11 million, 15 million or 18.5 million, every child outside school represents a failure that demands urgent action. Data provided by the World Bank suggests that there are over 11 million out-of-school children aged six to 15 in the country. UNICEF estimates have placed the figure as high as 18.3 million to 18.5 million when older age groups and secondary-school children are included.In 2024, the UNICEF Chief of Field Office in Kano, Mohammed Farah, said Nigeria had 10.5 million out-of-school children and that about 10 per cent of them were in Kano State. In 2022, the then UNICEF head of field office in Kano, Rahama Farah, cited a figure of 18.5 million, with 60 per cent of the children being girls.Related NewsNUT slams FG over King’s College concessionNigerians should own shares in Dangote refinery — Sanusi120 years on, 105 grid collapses: Why Nigeria still can’t keep the lights onThese differences may partly be explained by variations in methodology, age brackets, reference years and whether projected or household-level data are being used. That is precisely why the Federal Government must establish a universally accepted and transparent methodology.The government cannot reasonably tell UNESCO and UNICEF not to “give us that data” without first providing superior data of its own.International agencies do not conjure their figures from thin air; their estimates are based on methodologies and datasets that should be subjected to scrutiny.If Nigeria believes those estimates are wrong, it should demonstrate precisely where and why they are wrong.More importantly, even an estimate of seven million to eight million would represent a national emergency. The minister himself admitted that the figure would still be “too many.” That is the point that should dominate the national conversation.Former Emir of Kano and former Central Bank Governor, Muhammadu Sanusi II, has repeatedly drawn attention to the crisis, linking it to poverty, rapid population growth and the Almajiri system in Northern Nigeria.Poverty, insecurity, school closures, regional disparities and the indirect costs of education continue to keep millions of Nigerian children away from classrooms.Therefore, the government must publish the methodology, sampling framework, age categories, state-by-state findings and independent validation of the proposed survey. It should also reconcile its findings with existing World Bank and UNICEF estimates.Nigeria does not need a smaller out-of-school figure for international prestige. It needs the right figure for effective intervention. Whether the number is eight million, 11 million, 15 million or 18.5 million, every child outside school represents a failure that demands urgent action. In 2024, the UNICEF Chief of Field Office in Kano, Mohammed Farah, said Nigeria had 10.5 million out-of-school children and that about 10 per cent of them were in Kano State. In 2022, the then UNICEF head of field office in Kano, Rahama Farah, cited a figure of 18.5 million, with 60 per cent of the children being girls.Related NewsNUT slams FG over King’s College concessionNigerians should own shares in Dangote refinery — Sanusi120 years on, 105 grid collapses: Why Nigeria still can’t keep the lights onThese differences may partly be explained by variations in methodology, age brackets, reference years and whether projected or household-level data are being used. That is precisely why the Federal Government must establish a universally accepted and transparent methodology.The government cannot reasonably tell UNESCO and UNICEF not to “give us that data” without first providing superior data of its own.International agencies do not conjure their figures from thin air; their estimates are based on methodologies and datasets that should be subjected to scrutiny.If Nigeria believes those estimates are wrong, it should demonstrate precisely where and why they are wrong.More importantly, even an estimate of seven million to eight million would represent a national emergency. The minister himself admitted that the figure would still be “too many.” That is the point that should dominate the national conversation.Former Emir of Kano and former Central Bank Governor, Muhammadu Sanusi II, has repeatedly drawn attention to the crisis, linking it to poverty, rapid population growth and the Almajiri system in Northern Nigeria.Poverty, insecurity, school closures, regional disparities and the indirect costs of education continue to keep millions of Nigerian children away from classrooms.Therefore, the government must publish the methodology, sampling framework, age categories, state-by-state findings and independent validation of the proposed survey. It should also reconcile its findings with existing World Bank and UNICEF estimates.Nigeria does not need a smaller out-of-school figure for international prestige. It needs the right figure for effective intervention. Whether the number is eight million, 11 million, 15 million or 18.5 million, every child outside school represents a failure that demands urgent action. These differences may partly be explained by variations in methodology, age brackets, reference years and whether projected or household-level data are being used. That is precisely why the Federal Government must establish a universally accepted and transparent methodology.The government cannot reasonably tell UNESCO and UNICEF not to “give us that data” without first providing superior data of its own.International agencies do not conjure their figures from thin air; their estimates are based on methodologies and datasets that should be subjected to scrutiny.If Nigeria believes those estimates are wrong, it should demonstrate precisely where and why they are wrong.More importantly, even an estimate of seven million to eight million would represent a national emergency. The minister himself admitted that the figure would still be “too many.” That is the point that should dominate the national conversation.Former Emir of Kano and former Central Bank Governor, Muhammadu Sanusi II, has repeatedly drawn attention to the crisis, linking it to poverty, rapid population growth and the Almajiri system in Northern Nigeria.Poverty, insecurity, school closures, regional disparities and the indirect costs of education continue to keep millions of Nigerian children away from classrooms.Therefore, the government must publish the methodology, sampling framework, age categories, state-by-state findings and independent validation of the proposed survey. It should also reconcile its findings with existing World Bank and UNICEF estimates.Nigeria does not need a smaller out-of-school figure for international prestige. It needs the right figure for effective intervention. Whether the number is eight million, 11 million, 15 million or 18.5 million, every child outside school represents a failure that demands urgent action. The government cannot reasonably tell UNESCO and UNICEF not to “give us that data” without first providing superior data of its own.International agencies do not conjure their figures from thin air; their estimates are based on methodologies and datasets that should be subjected to scrutiny.If Nigeria believes those estimates are wrong, it should demonstrate precisely where and why they are wrong.More importantly, even an estimate of seven million to eight million would represent a national emergency. The minister himself admitted that the figure would still be “too many.” That is the point that should dominate the national conversation.Former Emir of Kano and former Central Bank Governor, Muhammadu Sanusi II, has repeatedly drawn attention to the crisis, linking it to poverty, rapid population growth and the Almajiri system in Northern Nigeria.Poverty, insecurity, school closures, regional disparities and the indirect costs of education continue to keep millions of Nigerian children away from classrooms.Therefore, the government must publish the methodology, sampling framework, age categories, state-by-state findings and independent validation of the proposed survey. It should also reconcile its findings with existing World Bank and UNICEF estimates.Nigeria does not need a smaller out-of-school figure for international prestige. It needs the right figure for effective intervention. Whether the number is eight million, 11 million, 15 million or 18.5 million, every child outside school represents a failure that demands urgent action. International agencies do not conjure their figures from thin air; their estimates are based on methodologies and datasets that should be subjected to scrutiny.If Nigeria believes those estimates are wrong, it should demonstrate precisely where and why they are wrong.More importantly, even an estimate of seven million to eight million would represent a national emergency. The minister himself admitted that the figure would still be “too many.” That is the point that should dominate the national conversation.Former Emir of Kano and former Central Bank Governor, Muhammadu Sanusi II, has repeatedly drawn attention to the crisis, linking it to poverty, rapid population growth and the Almajiri system in Northern Nigeria.Poverty, insecurity, school closures, regional disparities and the indirect costs of education continue to keep millions of Nigerian children away from classrooms.Therefore, the government must publish the methodology, sampling framework, age categories, state-by-state findings and independent validation of the proposed survey. It should also reconcile its findings with existing World Bank and UNICEF estimates.Nigeria does not need a smaller out-of-school figure for international prestige. It needs the right figure for effective intervention. Whether the number is eight million, 11 million, 15 million or 18.5 million, every child outside school represents a failure that demands urgent action. If Nigeria believes those estimates are wrong, it should demonstrate precisely where and why they are wrong.More importantly, even an estimate of seven million to eight million would represent a national emergency. The minister himself admitted that the figure would still be “too many.” That is the point that should dominate the national conversation.Former Emir of Kano and former Central Bank Governor, Muhammadu Sanusi II, has repeatedly drawn attention to the crisis, linking it to poverty, rapid population growth and the Almajiri system in Northern Nigeria.Poverty, insecurity, school closures, regional disparities and the indirect costs of education continue to keep millions of Nigerian children away from classrooms.Therefore, the government must publish the methodology, sampling framework, age categories, state-by-state findings and independent validation of the proposed survey. It should also reconcile its findings with existing World Bank and UNICEF estimates.Nigeria does not need a smaller out-of-school figure for international prestige. It needs the right figure for effective intervention. Whether the number is eight million, 11 million, 15 million or 18.5 million, every child outside school represents a failure that demands urgent action. If Nigeria believes those estimates are wrong, it should demonstrate precisely where and why they are wrong.More importantly, even an estimate of seven million to eight million would represent a national emergency. The minister himself admitted that the figure would still be “too many.” That is the point that should dominate the national conversation.Former Emir of Kano and former Central Bank Governor, Muhammadu Sanusi II, has repeatedly drawn attention to the crisis, linking it to poverty, rapid population growth and the Almajiri system in Northern Nigeria.Poverty, insecurity, school closures, regional disparities and the indirect costs of education continue to keep millions of Nigerian children away from classrooms.Therefore, the government must publish the methodology, sampling framework, age categories, state-by-state findings and independent validation of the proposed survey. It should also reconcile its findings with existing World Bank and UNICEF estimates.Nigeria does not need a smaller out-of-school figure for international prestige. It needs the right figure for effective intervention. Whether the number is eight million, 11 million, 15 million or 18.5 million, every child outside school represents a failure that demands urgent action. More importantly, even an estimate of seven million to eight million would represent a national emergency. The minister himself admitted that the figure would still be “too many.” That is the point that should dominate the national conversation.Former Emir of Kano and former Central Bank Governor, Muhammadu Sanusi II, has repeatedly drawn attention to the crisis, linking it to poverty, rapid population growth and the Almajiri system in Northern Nigeria.Poverty, insecurity, school closures, regional disparities and the indirect costs of education continue to keep millions of Nigerian children away from classrooms.Therefore, the government must publish the methodology, sampling framework, age categories, state-by-state findings and independent validation of the proposed survey. It should also reconcile its findings with existing World Bank and UNICEF estimates.Nigeria does not need a smaller out-of-school figure for international prestige. It needs the right figure for effective intervention. Whether the number is eight million, 11 million, 15 million or 18.5 million, every child outside school represents a failure that demands urgent action. Former Emir of Kano and former Central Bank Governor, Muhammadu Sanusi II, has repeatedly drawn attention to the crisis, linking it to poverty, rapid population growth and the Almajiri system in Northern Nigeria.Poverty, insecurity, school closures, regional disparities and the indirect costs of education continue to keep millions of Nigerian children away from classrooms.Therefore, the government must publish the methodology, sampling framework, age categories, state-by-state findings and independent validation of the proposed survey. It should also reconcile its findings with existing World Bank and UNICEF estimates.Nigeria does not need a smaller out-of-school figure for international prestige. It needs the right figure for effective intervention. Whether the number is eight million, 11 million, 15 million or 18.5 million, every child outside school represents a failure that demands urgent action. Poverty, insecurity, school closures, regional disparities and the indirect costs of education continue to keep millions of Nigerian children away from classrooms.Therefore, the government must publish the methodology, sampling framework, age categories, state-by-state findings and independent validation of the proposed survey. It should also reconcile its findings with existing World Bank and UNICEF estimates.Nigeria does not need a smaller out-of-school figure for international prestige. It needs the right figure for effective intervention. Whether the number is eight million, 11 million, 15 million or 18.5 million, every child outside school represents a failure that demands urgent action. Therefore, the government must publish the methodology, sampling framework, age categories, state-by-state findings and independent validation of the proposed survey. It should also reconcile its findings with existing World Bank and UNICEF estimates.Nigeria does not need a smaller out-of-school figure for international prestige. It needs the right figure for effective intervention. Whether the number is eight million, 11 million, 15 million or 18.5 million, every child outside school represents a failure that demands urgent action. Nigeria does not need a smaller out-of-school figure for international prestige. It needs the right figure for effective intervention. Whether the number is eight million, 11 million, 15 million or 18.5 million, every child outside school represents a failure that demands urgent action.