Nigeria's child welfare crisis: 11.5% budget for future
Nigeria fails its children despite knowing what they need. Half the population (98 million) are under 18, yet 10.2 million children wake up with no school to attend. A 7-year-old in rural Zamfara has never been to school—not because she refused, but the nearest school is 8km away with no teacher for most of last year. The gap between promises and reality is not fate—it's a budget choice.
The 2025 federal budget allocates only 11.51% to education, health, and social protection combined—far below UNESCO's 15-20% recommendation for education alone. Yet Nigeria scored 0.36 on Human Capital Index, meaning children reach just 36% of their potential. One in four children aged 7-14 can't read properly, while one in two rural girls marries before 18.
Progress proves change is possible—Nigeria eliminated wild polio. What's missing isn't capability, but political will. The laws exist; enforcement and consistent funding don't. Children don't pause their need to learn because oil revenues dip—yet budgets treat them as expendable. Nigeria must decide: will it fund the children who already make up nearly half the country, or continue celebrating what it won't deliver?