The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has raised concerns over the rising number of Nigerian children who are not acquiring the basic skills needed to thrive in today’s economy and secure future employment.
The Chief of UNICEF Lagos Field Office, Celine Lafoucriere, expressed the concern on Tuesday in Ede, Osun State, during a two-day media dialogue focused on digital learning, artificial intelligence (AI), and skills development for out-of-school children.
The event was organised in collaboration with the Osun State Ministry of Education, the Federal Ministry of Education, the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), and the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), among others, and drew journalists from across the South-West and Edo State.
Lafoucriere highlighted worrying gaps in foundational learning among Nigerian children, noting that a large proportion struggle with basic literacy and numeracy skills.
According to her, only one in four children who attend school in Nigeria can read and perform basic mathematics proficiently by the age of 14.
She also drew attention to the millions of children who remain outside the education system entirely.
“Just one in four—and we are only talking about the children who make it to school.
“There are 10 million more who never get to school at all.
“That is the reality that brings us here today—not numbers in a spreadsheet or reports sitting on someone’s desk, but real children growing up without the skills they need to secure jobs, care for themselves and their families, and contribute meaningfully to the economy,” she said.
UNICEF warned that the situation poses a serious challenge to Nigeria’s future workforce, stressing the need for urgent investment in digital learning and skill development to prepare children for a rapidly changing global economy.
