SHATTERED DREAMS: How hardship is worsening Nigeria’s school dropout rate

On a busy Tuesday morning in October 2024, Sunday Ogbu was carrying his wheelbarrow, standing by Slaughter Road in Ogige Market, Nsukka, Enugu State, waiting for someone to call so he could help push their load to any destination. Ogbu is one of the out-of-school children who dropped out due to economic hardship in Nigeria.

Ogbu, a young teenager and a Junior Secondary School (JSS2)  student, left school to help people push loads in a wheelbarrow in order to save money for his school fees.

Faced with the harsh reality of his parents being unable to pay his school fees, he could not sit for his remaining Mathematics paper last term and could not return to school this term.

“I am trying to save up something; when I get money, I will give it to my mother to add so I can pay my school fees,” he told Crisp Nigeria.

The 13-year-old student of Government Technical College (GTC) Nsukka who expressed his frustration said: “It pains me because my mates are in school studying while I am in the market pushing a barrow. I want to be an auto mechanic when I grow up”.

While waiting for a customer, he met one who asked him to help push about 15 packs of soft drinks. Crisp Nigeria observed Ogbu as he struggled to navigate the tiny rough paths surrounding Ogige Market. With regret written all over him, he displayed several signs of hopelessness as he pushed the load to the destination instructed by its owner.

According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), one factor contributing to the increase in child labour is economic drivers.  “The increase in child labour is largely driven by poverty, as families often rely on their children to contribute to household income,” the organisation said.

For Ogbu, he is not only contributing to household income but also depends on the money made from pushing a barrow to pay his school fees.

TROUBLING STATISTICS 

ILO’s 2024 report also notes that over 24 million children in Nigeria are engaged in child labour. This represents a significant portion of the child population, with 31,756,302 children (50.5%) involved in various economic activities. The report also noted that among those engaged in child labour, approximately 14,390,353 children (22.9%) are involved in hazardous work, which poses serious risks to their health and safety.

Another report showed that in South East alone, the number of out-of-school children is reported to be approximately 240,200. This figure reflects part of the broader challenge Nigeria faces, with a total of about 18.3 million out-of-school children nationwide.

EDUCATION IN THE FACE OF ECONOMIC HARDSHIP 

According to a report by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), as of 2024, Nigeria has approximately 18.3 million out-of-school children, making it the country with the highest number of out-of-school children globally.

This figure represents about 30% of the school-age population in Nigeria. The breakdown indicates that 10.2 million are at the primary school level and 8.1 million at the junior secondary level.

Reports indicate that in the South East region of Nigeria, approximately 664,000 children are out of school. Despite having relatively better enrolment rates compared to other regions, the South East still faces significant challenges that contribute to this number. Factors such as child labour, low family incomes, and persistent socio-economic challenges hinder access to education for many children in this area.

Research indicated that the primary factor causing school dropouts in Enugu and Nigeria is poverty. Many families struggle with financial constraints, which often forces children to leave school to work and support their households. The current poverty rate in Nigeria is approximately 46%, with around 104 million Nigerians living below the poverty line.

Obinna Okike, a 17-year-old who graduated from secondary school in 2023, is among those who could not continue their education due to economic hardship. He expressed his unhappiness at seeing his peers already in higher institutions while he works around Nsukka town selling pears to save money.

As the youngest of six children, his family members take turns attending higher education, each sibling contributing to support one another due to economic difficulties.

“I also save and at the same time support some of my siblings who have gained admission, so some of them will have to graduate before I can write JAMB,” Obinna said.

He opted to sell pears because it is somewhat lucrative. “I usually buy a bag for 30,000 naira that lasts for three days and I make about 50,000 naira from it,” he explained.

Obinna, who hails from Igbo-Etiti LGA in Enugu State, aspires to become an electronic engineer if he can manage to return to school. “I know how to fix lights; that is why I want to gain more knowledge in the field.”

PARENTS ALSO RECOUNT CHALLENGES 

Innocent Ukwueze, a parent of four children, explained how he is now finding it difficult to cater for his children’s education.

“We are just surviving by God’s grace because we are only investing in food; feeding has become a problem,” he lamented.

Mr. Ukwueze pleaded with the government to show compassion towards parents and review some policies to improve the situation. He operates a shop in a school environment and noted that most students have not yet returned because they cannot obtain any money from their parents.

WHY SCHOOL DROPOUT IS RISING IN NIGERIA 

Dr. Tushar Rane, Chief of Field Office for UNICEF in Bauchi, emphasized during a regional stakeholders meeting that only 63% of primary school-age children regularly attend school, and merely 84% transition to junior secondary education after completing primary school. In his remarks, Dr. Rane attributed the high rates of out-of-school children to several factors, including limited budget allocation as one of the causes.

He stated, “Numerous obstacles prevent consistent school attendance, timely enrolment, and completion of education for all Nigerian children. Some of these obstacles include inadequate evidence-based policy and planning, limited budget allocation, significant shortages of qualified teachers and classrooms, poor infrastructure, and more.”

Timeline of Out-of-School Children Reports (2018-2024)

The above timeline shows that the number of out of school children is increasing yearly.

Budget Allocations for Education (2018-2024)

The above timeline shows Government’s yearly budgets for education from 2018-2024.

Meanwhile, UNESCO’s recommended allocation for education is between 15-20% of the total budget, which Nigeria has consistently failed to meet. In July 2021, the Nigerian government promised to increase education spending significantly, yet subsequent budgets did not reflect this commitment.

LECTURER SPEAKS ON WAY FORWARD

During an interview with an academic adviser at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Dr. Ike Ugbor explained that it is a particularly challenging time for students.

“Last semester, many of our students could not pay their school fees, so we had to reach out to friends to help some of these students. Previously, it used to be about 1 or 2% of students could not afford school fees, but now we are looking at 10 to 15%,” he told Crisp Nigeria.

The academic adviser said that, “As of today, which is the second semester, I just received a report that some of our first-year students have run out of food supplies.

“Though we are trying to find ways to reach out to people to assist them, we have never encountered this type of situation before.

“We have always heard stories of students who are unable to pay their school fees, but not to the extent where students can no longer feed themselves. Even their parents at home are struggling to put food on the table. No parents can help their children anymore.”

Dr. Ugbor noted that there are cases where students drop out of school because some, out of pride, do not want to speak up in time until it is too late, leading to their dropping out. He stated that up to fifty percent of the students are currently struggling.

He also explained that students who cannot feed well will not be able to study effectively. “Once hunger sets in, this will have ripple effects on society. We hope that things improve because the way things are going, society is degenerating, and we will end up producing educated illiterates. Though I will not write Nigeria off because nothing lasts forever, it is up to leadership to change the situation.”

‘OUR LEADERS DON’T VALUE EDUCATION’

Speaking further, Dr. Ugbor lamented that the Nigerian government does not value education.

“Sorry to say this, our current leaders do not have regards for education; both the current and the immediate past administrations have shown very little value for education. It does not matter what they tell us; unfortunately, their body language and actions show they do not pay attention to education at all.”

He further pleaded with the government to review policies and adequately fund education, adding that neglecting education is a very dangerous action by any government anywhere in the world.

“I am appealing to them to review their policies towards education because education is the future. Without it, we do not have a guaranteed future and we would continue to stumble as we are currently doing,” he said.

“They should adequately fund education and agriculture. Due to our attitudes towards education over the years, there has been an increase in insecurity. Most of those who are unknown gunmen today are mostly dropouts from school. If they cannot find any other job, they are ready to do anything to survive.”