EDUCATION ON HOLD: How Poverty Is Stealing Nigerian Children’s Future

Being out of school means a child is not enrolled in, or is not regularly attending, an appropriate primary or secondary school. It is more than missing one lesson. It means losing sustained access to teaching, friendships, protection, and qualifications. This matters because early learning shapes later work and independence.

Ismaila Abdulahi is a clear example. The article says the 17-year-old has never stepped into school. Instead, he moves between vehicles at a busy roadside in Kuje, offering goods to motorists and pedestrians. His daily activity has replaced the classroom, not merely interrupted it.

His situation shows how exclusion can become normal when poverty and work take priority. Without a route back into education, each year can make school entry harder. Free schooling, flexible learning, and family support could help children like Ismaila exchange street work for learning while protecting household survival.

Nigeria’s out-of-school total depends on the age group and definition used. UNICEF and Nigerian education estimates have commonly cited about 10.5 million primary-school-age children outside school. Broader counts, including older children or irregular attendance, can be higher. The number is therefore best treated as an estimate, not a perfectly fixed total.

Nigeria has roughly 90 million people under 18, based on widely used population estimates. Comparing 10.5 million with that child population gives about 12 percent, or approximately one child in eight. The comparison is imperfect because the 10.5 million figure focuses mainly on primary-age children, while the denominator includes all minors.

Even the narrower estimate represents a major national challenge. It means millions may miss literacy, numeracy, safety, and qualifications. The article’s picture of Ismaila turns that large statistic into one visible life at a roadside in Kuje.

Official availability does not remove every cost of attending school. Families may still need money for uniforms, books, transport, supplies, meals, or informal charges. They also lose the income a child could earn while studying. When a household struggles to buy food, these immediate costs can outweigh the distant benefits of education.

Ismaila’s experience illustrates this pressure. The article shows him moving between vehicles and selling goods at a roadside in Kuje. His work likely reflects a household need for income, although the excerpt does not describe his family’s exact finances. The key mechanism is opportunity cost: time in school cannot simultaneously produce earnings or unpaid help at home.

Poverty can therefore keep children out even where schools exist. Attendance improves when governments reduce direct costs, provide meals and materials, offer transport, and support families financially. Such measures make education a realistic choice rather than a benefit reserved for households that can afford delay.

Children in poor households may become workers because their earnings help meet urgent needs. Street trading can provide cash for food, rent, transport, medicine, or younger siblings’ expenses. Unlike education, which usually pays off later, selling goods can bring money home the same day. That makes the child’s contribution important to family survival.

Ismaila’s role is visible in the article. At a busy roadside in Kuje, he moves from vehicle to vehicle and holds out goods to motorists and pedestrians. The mechanism is direct: he finds customers, offers products, and helps convert sales into income. The excerpt does not state how much he earns or who receives the money.

This support can also carry a heavy cost. Trading during school hours reduces learning and may expose children to traffic, exploitation, and unsafe conditions. Families need alternatives that replace lost child income, such as cash transfers, decent adult employment, and accessible schooling, rather than punishment alone.

Schooling builds literacy, numeracy, problem-solving, and recognized qualifications. Employers often use these skills and certificates to select workers. When a child misses years of education, they may struggle to read instructions, complete applications, learn technical tasks, or meet entry requirements. Their job choices can narrow, and their bargaining power can weaken.

Ismaila has never entered school, according to the article. He is already selling goods beside a busy road at age 17. This work may provide immediate income, but it usually offers fewer protections and less predictable advancement than skilled employment. The article does not report his future earnings, so the effect on him is a risk, not a confirmed outcome.

The wider pattern can become long-lasting. Limited skills often lead to informal, low-paid work, which makes it harder to save or return to school. Catch-up education, vocational training, and recognized qualifications can still improve opportunities, but early schooling generally provides the strongest foundation.

Several alternatives can make school realistic for poor children. Governments can remove fees, provide uniforms and learning materials, offer safe transport, and run nearby or flexible classes. School meals are especially useful because they reduce a household food cost while giving children a reason to attend. Cash transfers or scholarships can replace some income families lose when children stop working.

For a child like Ismaila, a useful package might combine free education with meals, supplies, and support for his household. The article shows him selling goods between vehicles in Kuje, so simply opening a school may not address the pressure behind his work. Attendance needs to be safe, affordable, and compatible with family needs.

These interventions work best when schools are welcoming and learning quality is strong. Catch-up classes can help older children who have never enrolled. Adult employment support can also reduce dependence on children’s earnings, making education a sustainable alternative to street trading.

Human capital means the knowledge, skills, health, and abilities people develop. Education strengthens this capital by improving literacy, numeracy, reasoning, and job-specific learning. These abilities can raise productivity and earnings over a lifetime. Education also helps people understand health information, participate in civic life, and adapt when technology or workplaces change.

Ismaila’s story shows what is lost when that investment never begins. At 17, he is selling goods beside traffic and has never entered school. His effort helps his household now, but the country may lose future skills that could have supported a business, profession, or more productive job. The article does not measure his potential earnings.

When exclusion is widespread, businesses may find fewer skilled workers, productivity can grow more slowly, and public revenues can shrink. Poverty can then repeat across generations. Expanding quality schooling, supporting attendance, and offering second-chance learning can strengthen both individual futures and Nigeria’s economy.