Keywords: Edo State, educational exclusion, out-of-school children, poverty reduction, Sustainable Development Goals

Abstract

The high rates of out-of-school children in Nigeria remain a significant obstacle to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. In Edo State, 76,446 children are outside the formal education system despite constitutional guarantees of free and compulsory basic education. This study investigated the phenomenon of out-of-school children and its effect on achieving SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 1 (No Poverty), SDG 5 (Gender Equality), and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) in Edo State. A mixed-methods approach was adopted with 1,246 respondents from the three senatorial zones and 20 key informant interviews. Pearson chi-square tests and thematic analysis were employed. Findings reveal that household poverty and child labour are strongly associated with out-of-school prevalence. Educational exclusion demonstrated moderate-to-high associations with progress towards SDG 4, SDG 1, and SDG 5/SDG 10. A substantial majority of respondents indicated that lack of education prevents employment and income generation. Gender-specific patterns were evident, with girls disproportionately affected. The study concludes that the out-of-school phenomenon in Edo State is a multi-dimensional crisis requiring strengthened family income support, reformed school access, and integrated education-poverty- gender equity frameworks.

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Published: 2026

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