In the small town of Sabo, south of Kaduna state, a group of schoolchildren are united by a common enemy: armed conflict. Most of the children arrived at this temporary shelter with their parents last November, after their villages were overrun by armed gangs.Iliya said his village was attacked, and their homes, farms and the school were burned. Iliya's son's school has since been closed.
This month, the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, better known as UNESCO, reported that more than 20 million Nigerian children are out of school, up nearly 2 million compared with a similar survey announced by UNICEF in May. Authorities also say UNESCO's estimates did not capture the number of children attending unconventional schools in northern Nigeria.
"It's a complex situation. Really, insurgency can be part of it. Secondly, the death of their parents or guardian responsible for tuition. Another factor we can consider is early marriage," Ladigbolu said, adding that that issue is specific to girls.