Nigeria rolls out data-driven education plan for nomadic children.

Nigeria’s federal ministry of education has launched a series of targeted interventions aimed at improving access to basic education for nomadic and other marginalised populations.

Balarabe Shehu-Kakale, special adviser to the minister of education on out-of-school children, said that the programmes are designed not only to boost school enrollment but also to support the country’s livestock and agricultural value chains.

At the centre of the initiative is a nationwide census, which began with a pilot phase in July 2025.

The six-phase survey seeks to identify and profile nomadic children, including Almajiri pupils across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones. The data will help the government map nomadic communities, geolocate settlements, and determine where to deploy teachers or establish learning centres.

The project is being implemented in partnership with several agencies, including the National Commission for Nomadic Education, the Universal Basic Education Board, the National Identity Management Commission, the National Bureau of Statistics, and the National Commission for Almajiri Education and Out-of-School Children.

According to Shehu-Kakale, the ministry is considering plans to resettle semi-nomadic populations while integrating their children into functional schools.

A report published in April 2025 revealed that while an average of 1.8 million nomadic children are enrolled in basic schools annually, about five million remain out of school, often spending their days herding cattle or working on farms. Insecurity in northern Nigeria has further strained the system, leaving some nomadic schools understaffed, with a student–teacher ratio of 91:1—far above UNESCO’s recommended 40:1.

The report also cited cultural resistance, poor infrastructure, frequent teacher attrition, and weak legislation as additional barriers to enrollment.

In response, the ministry is rolling out an accelerated basic education programme (ABEP), which combines classroom and digital learning. “We will train facilitators. With just a computer, a projector, and a solar power source, they can deliver education,” Shehu-Kakale explained.

He added that ministers of agriculture and livestock are in discussions with the education ministry on how to link school enrollment drives for nomadic children with efforts to boost agricultural productivity.

“Nigeria spends billions of dollars importing milk every year, yet we have between 20 and 30 million cows,” Shehu-Kakale said. “Our aim is to align education with industry demands so that nomadic education directly contributes to agricultural productivity.”

Nigeria’s livestock sector is valued at around ₦33 trillion but accounts for less than three percent of GDP. Analysts say the sector’s heavy reliance on nomadic pastoralists—who contribute about 82 percent of its output—makes education a key factor in unlocking its growth potential.