The Federal Government of Nigeria has issued a warning that girls can effectively drop out of school while still physically present in the classroom. This warning was given by the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmad, at the National Trainers' Workshop on Safe Learning Environment, Gender-Responsive Technology, and ICT Skills for Educators in Teacher Training Institutions in Nigeria, held in Abuja on Monday, October 5, 2026.
According to Prof. Ahmad, physical attendance alone is no longer a reliable indicator of a child's educational progress. A girl may be present in school every day but gradually disengage from learning due to repeated bullying, ridicule, or feelings of unsafety. The minister emphasized that it is crucial for teachers to recognize and address these issues to prevent silent dropout.
The minister cited UNICEF data indicating that 74 percent of children aged seven to 14 in Nigeria lacked basic reading and mathematics skills in 2024. She stressed that behind these statistics are children whose educational needs require urgent attention. The Federal Ministry of Education has introduced the National Policy on Anti-Bullying in Nigerian Schools, but its success depends on teachers and other adults in schools.
Prof. Ahmad noted that teachers often work under challenging conditions, including overcrowded classrooms, limited teaching materials, and heavy workloads. Therefore, policies alone cannot solve the challenges facing the education sector without adequately preparing teachers to implement them. The minister emphasized the need for teachers to be able to recognize bullying, respond appropriately to reports of abuse, and create a safe environment for children to seek help.
The National Trainers' Workshop aims to train 45 master trainers from 15 teacher training colleges in gender-responsive pedagogy, safe learning environments, prevention, and response to school-related gender-based violence, and digital teaching. These master trainers are expected to cascade the training to about 500 teacher educators. The workshop is supported by the government of Japan through UNESCO, which has provided ICT equipment to the beneficiary institutions.
The Provost, Federal College of Education (Technical), Asaba, Dr. James Olisa, described the intervention as timely, emphasizing the importance of equipping teacher-training institutions to prepare educators for modern classroom realities. The Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of Japan in Nigeria, Kozaki Hitoshi, reaffirmed Japan's commitment to supporting education development in Nigeria, stressing that the value of the intervention would be measured by how the beneficiary institutions deployed the equipment to improve teacher preparation and expand learning opportunities.
The minister commended the government of Japan for its support and challenged participants to ensure that the equipment translated into practical improvements in teaching rather than becoming unused facilities. The minister urged the master trainers to replicate the training in their institutions, allow colleagues to practice the new approaches, and monitor their impact on student teachers and pupils.
Key points
- The Nigerian government warns that girls can silently drop out of school while still physically present in the classroom due to bullying, abuse, and exclusion.
- The Federal Ministry of Education has introduced the National Policy on Anti-Bullying in Nigerian Schools to address the issue.
- The government of Japan, through UNESCO, has provided ICT equipment to 15 teacher training colleges to support the training of educators.
