Out-of-school children
Figures below refer to 3 May 2026 unless stated otherwise.
This is unfavourable and it is true. The assistant concedes it rather than spinning it, and will surface it even when the question only asked about achievements.
The claim
Nigeria has the world's largest out-of-school child population.
Figures
UNICEF, 2026: 18.3 million out-of-school children — the highest in the world. This sits against a proposed 2026 education allocation of ₦3.52tn.
The counter-argument
This predates the current administration but has not improved under it. Concede, and pivot to NELFUND only if the question is about tertiary access — the two are different problems.
Sources
- P.M. News — 18.3 million out-of-school children, UNICEFpmnewsnigeria.com