By Peter Duru, Makurdi

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has called for urgent, coordinated, and multi-sectoral strategies to address the growing challenge of out-of-school children in Benue State, stressing that education and nutrition must go hand in hand.

The call was made by the Nutrition Specialist and Officer-in-Charge of UNICEF Enugu Field Office, Mrs. Ngozi Onuora, at the maiden Benue State Basic Education Summit organised by the Benue State Universal Basic Education Board, SUBEB, in collaboration with the Universal Basic Education Commission, (UBEC) the National Commission for Almajiri and Out-Of-School Children Education, (NCAOOSCE) and the Universal Learning Solutions (ULS).

Represented by the Education Specialist, Mr. Believe Eke, Mrs Onuora noted that education and nutrition were inseparable pillars of child development. “A child who is hungry cannot learn. A child who is malnourished cannot fully concentrate, retain knowledge, or thrive in school,” she stated.

She noted that Benue State currently hosts over 464,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) across 15 formal camps in Logo, Guma, Makurdi, Kwande, and Gwer West Local Government Areas, as well as in informal settlements and host communities, according to the International Organization for Migration’s Displacement Tracking Matrix as of February 2026. A significant proportion of the displaced population, she said, were children whose education, nutrition, protection, and overall well-being had been severely disrupted.

According to UNICEF, schools in displacement-affected communities must serve as more than centres for academic learning. “They must be safe havens, places where children receive knowledge, psychosocial support, and where possible, access to essential health and nutrition services,” she said, warning that children, especially girls, were at heightened risk of dropping out permanently when families struggle to meet basic needs.

She emphasized that innovative strategies to strengthen enrolment and retention must integrate school feeding programmes, nutrition screening, water and sanitation facilities, and child protection services into education planning.

The Officer-in-Charge reaffirmed the global organisation’s commitment to supporting the Benue State Government through the establishment of temporary learning spaces, teacher capacity building, and provision of essential learning materials to ensure continuity of learning in emergency contexts.

She described the launch of the Brace-Up Project as timely and strategic, noting that it provides an opportunity to combine strong data systems, community mobilisation, targeted interventions, and sustained financing to bring children back to school and keep them there.

UNICEF outlined priority areas for collective action, including systematic identification of out-of-school children, integration of learners from IDP camps into host community schools, expansion of temporary learning spaces, nutrition-sensitive programming, provision of adequate learning materials and psychosocial services, strengthening school-based protection mechanisms, community engagement, especially to support girls’ education, and securing sustainable financing.

In support of these efforts, UNICEF announced that it would provide 400 school-in-a-box kits, each containing 42 essential teaching and learning materials for 40 learners and one teacher, as well as 2,000 exercise books to facilitate enrolment and participation.

“No child should have to choose between food and education. No child should lose their future because they have lost their home. Together, through coordinated and evidence-based action, we can ensure that every child in Benue State not only goes to school but stays, learns, and thrives,” she stressed.

Governor Hyacinth Alia in a keynote address said the summit would generate practical strategies to strengthen education in Benue and ensure every child has access to free and compulsory schooling. He described the initiative as a historic move to boost enrollment and improve learning outcomes across the state.

He commended teachers and praised SUBEB Chairman, Dr. Grace Adagba, for her leadership, while urging stakeholders to support ongoing reforms. The Governor also launched the “Brace Up Project” and inaugurated Student Marshals to identify out-of-school children in the LGAs.

Presenting the sector’s achievements, the Executive Chairman of Benue SUBEB, Dr. Adagba highlighted improved infrastructure, revival of early childhood and agricultural education, employment of over 9,000 teachers, enhanced welfare including Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria, TRCN, allowances, and strong collaboration with UBEC, among others noting that the administration’s impact was clearly visible.

The theme of the summit was Innovative Strategies for Addressing the Menace of Out-Of-School Children: Enhancing Enrolment and Retention of Children in Basic Schools.