From Joseph Uchenna, in Makurdi
The United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF has provided 400 school-in-a-box kits each containing 42 essential teaching and learning materials sufficient for 40 learners and one teacher as well as 2,000 exercise books to facilitate enrolment and participation of identified out-of-school children in Benue State.
It is estimated that there over 16,000 out-of-school children in Benue State North Central Nigeria that has a population of over 2.5 million out-of-school-children
Speaking at the maiden edition of Benue State Education Summit held at the College of Health Sciences auditorium, Fr Moses Adasu University formerly Benue State University, BSU, UNICEF Nutrition Specialist and Officer-in-Chief of UNICEF Enugu Field Office, Mrs Ngozi Onoura on Friday, said that UNICEF recognizes that education and nutrition are inseparable pillars of child development, maintaining that a child who is hungry cannot learn, a malnourished child cannot fully concentrate, retain knowledge, or thrive in school.
Represented by Mr Believe Oritsenemi Eke, Education Specialist, UNICEF Enugu Field Office, she said, “therefore, when we speak about out-of-school children in Benue State, we must also speak about the conditions that prevent children not only from enrolling but from staying and succeeding in school”.
Mr Onuora decried the high rate of internally displaced persons in the State citing the International Organization for Migration’s, IOM displacement tracking matrix, around (18 February 2026), that put the figure in Benue state at over 464,000 internally displaced persons across 15 formal camps in logo, Guma, Makurdi, Kwande, and Gwer west LGAs, as well as in informal settlements and host communities, noting that a significant proportion of these are children, facing disruption not only to their education, but also to their nutrition, protection, and overall well-being.
She said, “for children affected by displacement, schools must serve as more than learning spaces. They must be safe havens places where children receive knowledge, psychosocial support, and where possible, access to essential health and nutrition services. When education systems are overstretched, and when families are struggling to meet basic needs, children, especially girls are at heightened risk of dropping out permanently”.
She proposed that innovative strategies to address out-school-children must be multi-sectoral strengthening enrolment and retention which requires integration into school curriculum feeding, nutrition screening, water and sanitstion facilities and child protection services into education planning with evidence consistently showing that school-based nutrition Interventions improves attendance, concentration and completion rates.
She pledged that UNICEF remains a committed partner to the government of Benue state supporting through the establishment of temporary learning Intervention improved attendance, concentration and completion rates as well as teacher capacity building, the provision of essential learning materials, and continue to support learning continuity in emergency contexts.
“However, we must go further in ensuring that learning environments are not only accessible but supportive of children’s holistic development.
“The launch of the Brace-Up Project by the Benue state Universal Basic Education board is both timely and strategic. It offers an opportunity to combine strong data systems with community mobilization, targeted interventions, and sustained financing to bring children back to school and keep them there.
In his speech, the Benue State Governor Rev Fr Hyacinth Alia appreciated UNICEF for their effort in supporting the State with additional school kits.
