Nigeria’s 36 state governors, under the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), have raised the alarm over what they describe as a full-blown educational crisis threatening the nation’s future. Speaking at the State-Level Workshop on Foundational Learning and Out-of-School Children held in Abuja on Thursday, the governors painted a stark picture of the state of primary education across the country.

The forum stressed that Nigeria is not only battling a persistent out-of-school children problem, but also facing a deeper and more dangerous learning crisis—millions of children enrolled in school are simply not learning.

Kwara State Governor and NGF Chairman, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, in a speech delivered by NGF Education Advisor Leo The Great, said the issue goes beyond mere enrollment. He emphasized that even among those who are in school, foundational skills in literacy, numeracy, and socio-emotional development are worryingly weak.

“Across the states, the number of children who are in primary school have insufficient levels of foundational literacy, numeracy, and socio-emotional skills necessary for learning success in other subjects and higher skills for learning,” he said.

According to the NGF, current data show that 66% of primary school-age children are either out of school or not acquiring any meaningful learning, contributing to a vicious cycle of dropouts and poor educational outcomes.

The forum identified several root causes, including underfunding of the basic education sector, insufficient and undervalued teaching workforce, lack of modern training methods, outdated or absent learning materials, and poor community support for education. The system, they said, is also plagued by weak local capacity, lack of proper monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, and low political will from both state and non-state actors.

“Foundational skills are not merely the end goal of an educational system,” AbdulRazaq stated. “They are also critical building blocks for achieving other educational objectives, including retention and progression from one level to the next.”

The Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Aisha Garba, represented by Rasaq Akinyemi, echoed similar concerns. She noted that despite years of investment and intervention, deep-rooted systemic challenges continue to cripple Nigeria’s education system. “Basic education remains a critical concern in our national development,” she said. “Millions of Nigerian children are out of school. Many of their parents lack formal education and the necessary skills to lead productive lives.”

UBEC called for renewed commitment and strategic policy implementation to improve access, equity, and quality across the education system. Garba reaffirmed that every Nigerian child has a right to learn and to a future free from the limitations imposed by poor foundational education.

Ifeyinwa Ugochukwu, Vice President for Policy and Partnerships at NewGlobe, further underlined the depth of the crisis. She said state-level assessments have revealed that even Primary 6 pupils are struggling with the basics of reading and arithmetic—an indicator that Nigeria’s education problem is not just about access, but about effectiveness.

“This is not a marginal concern. It is a system-wide emergency,” Ugochukwu warned. “Too many of our children are sitting in classrooms every day, but leaving empty-handed—unable to read, write, or grasp basic understanding.”

She called for urgent, focused, and coordinated interventions to ensure that children in school are actually learning—especially in rural communities where the gaps are most pronounced.

The workshop, attended by key education stakeholders and policy influencers, aimed to foster collaboration among state governments and partners in tackling the crisis. The consensus was clear: Nigeria must not only get its children into school—it must also ensure that schooling delivers real learning. Without swift action, millions of children may lose the opportunity to build meaningful lives, with dire consequences for the country’s development trajectory.