Kaduna unveils 2026 out-of-school children mapping, census reports

• … to reintegrate 187,719 children into classrooms

From Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

The Kaduna State Government on Tuesday unveiled the 2026 out-of-school children mapping Report and the 2025/2026 annual school census reports, committing to use the data to reintegrate 187,719 children into classrooms.

The reports were presented at a dissemination event in Kaduna today as part of the Reaching Out-of-School Children (ROOSC) project.

Deputy Governor of Kaduna State, Dr. Hadiza Sabuwa Balarabe, who unveiled the reports on behalf of Governor Uba Sani, CON, said the exercise marks a shift from assumptions to evidence-based planning.

“I am honored to address this important gathering for the dissemination of the 2026 Out-of-School Children Mapping Report and the 2025/2026 Annual School Census Report,” said Dr. Balarabe.

“I bring you warm greetings from the Executive Governor of Kaduna State, His Excellency, Senator Uba Sani, CON, whose administration regards the education of every child as both a policy priority and a moral obligation.”

She noted that the Annual School Census provides a detailed picture of school locations, facilities, teacher availability, gender balance, and enrollment. Meanwhile, the Out-of-School Children (OOSC) mapping identifies who is missing from classrooms and why.

“Behind every statistic is a child—a child waiting for an opportunity, a child at risk of being left behind, and a child whose future depends on the decisions we make today,” she stated.

According to the reports, 187,719 children across Kaduna State remain out of school. The household survey indicated that 65% are between ages 6 and 11, boys account for 57%, and over 91% of affected households cited poverty as the main barrier.

Dr. Balarabe highlighted a clear geographical concentration, with Kaduna North Senatorial Zone accounting for 51% of out-of-school children, and Kubau Local Government Area recording the highest number.

She stated that, when combined with the school census data, the reports will guide where new schools should be established, where teachers should be deployed, and where investments will be most impactful.

Highlighting progress, she said the number of out-of-school children has decreased significantly from over half a million when the administration took office to just over 187,000 today.

“Education continues to receive the highest budget allocation in Kaduna State, accounting for 25% of the 2026 Appropriation Law,” she noted. Other achievements include providing free basic education, a school-feeding program reaching 40% of public school students, constructing over 100 schools with support from the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development, renovating 2,300 classrooms, and annually recruiting 2,000 primary teachers.

She also mentioned that KADSUBEB has distributed 174,000 textbooks, 190,000 exercise books, and 32,000 uniforms. Additionally, the ROOSC Project has supplied learning materials and assistive devices for children with disabilities.

Mr. Hassan Harun, representing the Statistician-General of the Federation and head of NBS, Prince Semiu Adeniran, praised Kaduna for its efforts.

“Today’s dissemination is an important milestone in our collective responsibility to strengthen evidence-based decision-making in the education sector,” Harun said. He urged the state to sustain the annual census and invest in digital and geospatial technologies.