By Gom Mirian
Jigawa State has a staggering number of 1.06 million out-of-school children, with 51.10 percent of primary-school-aged children not attending any form of formal education, a recent report released by StatiSense has revealed.
The report further showed that the situation in Jigawa State is compounded by the fact that 84.3% of its population live in multidimensional poverty, making it even more challenging for their children to access education.
The report which was published by the statistical body @Statisense on Tuesday, attributed the high rate of out-of-school children to various factors, which include poverty, culture, early marriages, religious beliefs and insufficient functional schools in rural areas.
Its findings also revealed the dire state of education in Jigawa State, which has far-reaching implications for the state and Nigeria’s overall economic development.
It further shed light on the alarming rate of childhood mortality in Jigawa State, stating that the infant mortality rate in the state was 95 deaths per 1,000 live births, and the under-five mortality rate was 174 deaths per 1,000 live births.
The report highlighted that infant and under-five mortality rates in Jigawa State were much higher than the national average, which stands at 52 and 132 deaths per 1,000 live births, respectively, adding that the mortality rates were particularly high in rural areas of the state due to limited access to and utilisation of healthcare services.
“The underlying causes of high childhood mortality rates in Jigawa State are poor maternal and child health, lack of access to quality healthcare services, poverty, inadequate nutrition, and poor hygiene,” it noted.
