The Osun State Government has strongly refuted a media report alleging that the state has the highest number of out-of-school children in the South-West region, describing the publication as inaccurate, misleading, and damaging.

In a statement issued by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education, Adekilekun Jimoh, the government denied claims that 297,000 children in Osun are out of school. The statement clarified that the figure was never presented during a recent media dialogue organized by the ministry in collaboration with UNICEF in Ede.

According to the ministry, the reported statistic was a misrepresentation of data discussed at the event. Jimoh explained that the actual figure presented was approximately 97,000 learners who had enrolled on the Nigeria Learning Passport (NLP) and Passport to Earn (P2E) platforms in the state.

He emphasized that these figures relate to participation in digital learning and educational support programmes, not to the number of out-of-school children.

VMO Aero Clarifies Circumstances Of Aircraft Occurrence Near Asaba Airport

The Permanent Secretary expressed surprise that some reports transformed programme enrollment figures into claims about school attendance, insisting that no presentation at the event suggested Osun had 297,000 out-of-school children or that it ranked highest in the South-West.

He described the publication as malicious and harmful to the reputation of the state’s education sector.

“We wish to clarify that at no point during the programme was the figure of 297,000 presented as the number of out-of-school children in Osun State,” Jimoh stated.

He further explained that the Nigeria Learning Passport and Passport to Earn initiatives are designed to improve access to education, digital learning, and skill acquisition opportunities for children and young people across the state.

The government noted that the programmes form part of broader efforts to strengthen learning outcomes and support educational inclusion.

Jimoh also stressed the importance of responsible journalism, urging media organizations to verify information before publication to avoid spreading inaccurate statistics that could mislead the public.

According to him, incorrect reporting can create unnecessary misconceptions about the progress and challenges within the education sector.

The state government therefore called on the newspaper responsible for the report to retract the publication and issue an apology to the Osun State Government, the Ministry of Education, and UNICEF for what it described as inaccurate reporting.

The issue of out-of-school children remains a major concern across Nigeria, with governments and development partners implementing various interventions to improve school enrollment and retention.

Recent initiatives by the Federal Government have focused on expanding access to quality education through policy reforms and targeted programmes aimed at reducing the number of children outside the formal education system.

At the 2026 Basic Education in Nigeria Boot Camp Summit held in Jos, Plateau State, the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, reiterated the government’s commitment to addressing educational gaps and ensuring that more Nigerian children have access to inclusive and quality education.

The summit brought together stakeholders from across the education sector to explore solutions for improving enrollment and reducing barriers to learning nationwide.

Osun State authorities maintain that while educational challenges exist, accurate data and responsible reporting are essential for developing effective solutions and informing public discourse.