Education lag and its associated factors among children of school age in Nigeria

Educational attainment is crucial in determining a child’s overall well-being, and prospects. However, interventions aimed at providing universal access to education have not met global priorities, as millions of school-age children are lagging in education. Therefore, this study aims to examine the factors associated with lag in education for school-age children in Nigeria. The study utilized secondary data from the 2021 Nigeria Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS), involving 14,286 school-aged children (ages 6–17). Educational lag was defined based on the discrepancy between a child’s age and their current grade level. This study conducted analysis at univariate, bivariate and multivariate levels. Findings revealed that about a quarter (28%) of school-age children experience education lag (lower grade for age) in Nigeria. Gender, region and place of residence influence the extent of educational lag a child experiences. When adjusted for other household factors, the study revealed that household size, parental involvement and household media exposure played a big role in determining educational lag, as children from households with many members, no parental involvement in academic work, and less media exposure reported lagging in education. It concludes that a complex interplay of factors at the individual and household levels influences children’s education lag in Nigeria and recommends a regionally coordinated and differentiated multi-sectoral policy approach to achieving sustainable education outcomes for children in Nigeria.