Impact of Out of School Children in Areas Affected by Banditry in Northwest, Nigeria

The study examined the impact of out-of-school children in Areas Affected by Banditry in Northwest Nigeria. The study was set to: determine the extent to which banditry has affected school enrolment in Northwest Nigeria; examine the impact of banditry on school attendance in Northwest Nigeria; and evaluate the extent to which banditry contributes to the increase in gender disparity in school dropout rates in Northwest Nigeria. The study adopted a survey research design, with a population of 40,979 participants, which comprised 3,354 principals, 36,939 teachers, and 686 Ministry of Education officials in North-Western Nigeria. The study sample comprised 347 teachers, 25 principals, and 9 Ministry of Education officials, totalling 381 respondents. The sample size was selected using a multistage sampling technique. The data collected were analysed using frequency and mean to answer the research questions, while the null hypotheses were tested using the Kruskal-Wallis test at the 0.05 level of significance. Findings from the study revealed that banditry significantly affected school enrolment in Northwest Nigeria. Likewise, banditry had a significant negative impact on school attendance in Northwest Nigeria. The study also revealed that banditry contributed to the increase in gender disparity in school dropout rates in Northwest Nigeria. Among other things, it was recommended that the Federal and State Governments should endeavour to strengthen security measures around schools in banditry-affected communities in Northwest Nigeria in order to encourage school enrolment. The Ministry of Education and school authorities should provide safe, conducive learning environments and ensure that schools remain operational during periods of insecurity to improve pupils’ regular attendance. Government and school authorities should also provide special support and protection for girls in banditry-affected communities to reduce gender disparity in school dropout rates.