An estimated 5.5 million children from nomadic pastoralist, migrant fishing and farming communities are currently out of school across Nigeria, despite the combined population of these groups standing at approximately 45.9 million.

The Acting Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Nomadic Education, Dr Umar Abdu, disclosed this during an interview in Kano on Tuesday, on the sidelines of a three-day international conference focused on improving educational opportunities for nomadic pastoralists and other marginalised learners.

Abdu explained that the figure covers children from the three categories of communities targeted by the Federal Government’s nomadic education programme, stressing that the initiative is not exclusively designed for Fulani pastoralists.

He noted that the programme serves nomadic herders, migrant fishing communities and migrant farmers spread across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

According to him, the commission currently has at least 1.9 million learners enrolled in its educational programmes nationwide.

The disclosure was made during a conference themed, “Strengthening Inclusive and Flexible Education Pathways for Nomadic Pastoralists and Marginalised Learners in Africa.”

The event also featured a partnership between Maryam Abacha American University of Nigeria, Kano, and three other African universities to establish a consortium aimed at expanding educational access for disadvantaged communities across the continent.

The participating institutions include the Catholic University of Eastern Africa in Kenya, Capital University in Somalia and the University of Namibia.

Abdu explained that the commission had adopted alternative learning approaches to reach children whose circumstances make conventional schooling difficult.

These initiatives include mobile schools, learning centres established under trees and radio-based educational programmes designed to serve children affected by insecurity, geographical isolation and other challenges.

He added that the commission was also establishing skills acquisition centres to provide young people with vocational training and alternative livelihood opportunities, thereby strengthening their economic independence and improving their families’ living conditions.

However, Abdu identified inadequate and delayed funding, shortages of teachers, frequent teacher transfers, rising dropout rates among girls and difficulties transitioning from primary to junior secondary education as some of the major obstacles affecting the programme.

He explained that financial allocations to the commission were often insufficient to cover its nationwide responsibilities, while delays in releasing approved funds further affected its operations.

The acting executive secretary also pointed out that the commission had limited authority over teachers assigned to nomadic schools because education is on the Concurrent Legislative List, meaning the federal, state and local governments share responsibilities in the sector.

He said teachers trained and posted to nomadic schools were sometimes transferred to conventional schools, disrupting learning activities and creating shortages in communities that already struggle to access education.

To address the problem, the commission is engaging state and local governments to encourage teacher retention in nomadic schools. It is also promoting the recruitment of qualified individuals from nomadic communities who understand the children’s languages, cultures and lifestyles.

On girls’ education, Abdu observed that school enrolment was usually encouraging between Primary One and Primary Three but often declined from Primary Four.

He attributed the development partly to parents withdrawing their daughters from school for early marriages and domestic responsibilities.

He also highlighted a practice known as the child substitution syndrome, where parents withdraw older children from school to assist with cattle herding, fishing and farming before enrolling their younger siblings.

According to him, the practice affects educational progression because younger children cannot automatically continue from the academic level their older siblings previously attained.

He further explained that the absence of nearby junior secondary schools in many nomadic settlements makes it difficult for children to continue their education after primary school, particularly girls.

To tackle these challenges, the commission is seeking greater assistance from development partners, state governments, philanthropists and other stakeholders.

Abdu disclosed that Bauchi, Jigawa, Zamfara and Sokoto states had established agencies dedicated to nomadic education, while Niger State had created a ministry responsible for nomadic education and pastoral affairs.

He added that the commission was collaborating with state agencies, State Universal Basic Education Boards and non-governmental organisations to improve school enrolment and ensure that more children from the three targeted communities remain in education.