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The reality behind our mission

Potential is everywhere. Opportunity is not.

Every child deserves the opportunity to learn, grow, dream and succeed. Yet millions of children face barriers that can limit their futures before they have the chance to discover their potential.

Learning

Poverty & nutrition

  • 54%

    of children live in multidimensional poverty

    Children aged 0–17 deprived in multiple dimensions of well-being (e.g. health, education, housing, water).

    Multidimensional poverty measures deprivations, not income alone. Other UNICEF publications using different measures report higher figures. We show the 2025 Annual Report figure.

    Source · UNICEF Nigeria, 2025

    UNICEF Nigeria Annual Report 2025 — “Nigeria’s Children: The Numbers That Call Us to Action”. Underlying data: UNICEF & Federal Ministry of Budget and National Planning, child poverty analysis (2021). Verified Nov 2026. National figure for Nigeria, not specific to Sango Ota.

Water

The challenge / our response

What we do about it, honestly.

National data on the left, our own verified work in Sango Ota on the right. We keep them separate on purpose: our programs respond locally; they don't claim to solve national challenges.

The challenge · Nigeria (national data)

Limited access to education and learning spaces

10.2 million

children of primary-school age are out of school

Primary-school-age children not attending school. A further 8.1 million children of secondary-school age are also out of school.

45% of out-of-school children live in the Northwest and 28% in the Northeast.

Source · UNICEF Nigeria, 2025

UNICEF Nigeria Annual Report 2025 — “Nigeria’s Children: The Numbers That Call Us to Action”. Underlying data: MICS-EAGLE Nigeria Education Fact Sheets 2023 (age group per UNICEF’s 2024 Situation Analysis summary). Verified Nov 2026. National figure for Nigeria, not specific to Sango Ota.

Our response · Sango Ota

Better places to learn, and the supplies to use them.

  • Renovated a classroom that had been abandoned for 10+ years
  • Supported a school hall renovation
  • Transformed a daycare in 2026: repainted, new child-size furniture, books and supplies
  • 250 tote bags for school supplies (2024)

AOA records (2024 Impact Leave-Behind; 2025–26 camp records). Our work responds to these challenges locally; it does not claim to solve them nationally.

Education initiatives →

Why we show up

These are more than statistics. They are real lives.

Behind every number is a child with dreams, a family doing its best, and a future filled with possibility. We believe where a child is born should never determine how far they can go.

The challenges explain why we started. The children remind us why we continue.

See what we're doing →
The whole 2025 AOA camp, hundreds of campers in orange, gathered in the stand at Noble Court
The renovated daycare: bright blue walls, green flooring and colourful child-size tables and chairs
A camper drives to the basket on Noble Court, 2025

Research & sources

Each figure was checked against the original publication. Figures are national and may not reflect conditions in a specific community. Next scheduled review: November 2027.

  1. 1. 10.2 million, children of primary-school age are out of school

    Primary-school-age children not attending school. A further 8.1 million children of secondary-school age are also out of school.

    UNICEF Nigeria · UNICEF Nigeria Annual Report 2025 — “Nigeria’s Children: The Numbers That Call Us to Action” (2025) · Underlying data: MICS-EAGLE Nigeria Education Fact Sheets 2023 (age group per UNICEF’s 2024 Situation Analysis summary) · Verified 2026-11-05

  2. 2. 54%, of children live in multidimensional poverty

    Children aged 0–17 deprived in multiple dimensions of well-being (e.g. health, education, housing, water).

    UNICEF Nigeria · UNICEF Nigeria Annual Report 2025 — “Nigeria’s Children: The Numbers That Call Us to Action” (2025) · Underlying data: UNICEF & Federal Ministry of Budget and National Planning, child poverty analysis (2021) · Verified 2026-11-05

  3. 3. 51% vs 75%, school attendance: rural vs urban children

    Share of children and youth aged 3–24 attending school in the current year: 51% in rural areas compared with 75% in urban areas (70% nationally).

    UNICEF Nigeria · UNICEF Nigeria Annual Report 2025 — “Nigeria’s Children: The Numbers That Call Us to Action” (2025) · Underlying data: UNICEF Nigeria MICS Plus 2023–2025 Analytical Report · Verified 2026-11-05

  4. 4. 40%, of children under five are stunted

    Children under five whose growth is stunted due to chronic malnutrition (2 in 5).

    UNICEF Nigeria · UNICEF Nigeria Annual Report 2025 — “Nigeria’s Children: The Numbers That Call Us to Action” (2025) · Underlying data: Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey 2023–24: Key Indicators Report · Verified 2026-11-05

  5. 5. 27%, of children aged 7–14 have basic reading skills

    Children aged 7–14 with foundational reading skills. Just 25% have foundational numeracy skills.

    UNICEF Nigeria · UNICEF Nigeria Annual Report 2025 — “Nigeria’s Children: The Numbers That Call Us to Action” (2025) · Underlying data: MICS-EAGLE Nigeria Education Fact Sheets 2023 · Verified 2026-11-05

  6. 6. 38%, of 3–4-year-olds attend early childhood education

    Children aged 3–4 attending early childhood education, mostly in southern and wealthier households.

    UNICEF Nigeria · UNICEF Nigeria Annual Report 2025 — “Nigeria’s Children: The Numbers That Call Us to Action” (2025) · Underlying data: MICS-EAGLE Nigeria Education Fact Sheets 2023 · Verified 2026-11-05

  7. 7. 37%, of schools have basic water services

    Schools in Nigeria with a basic water service.

    UNICEF Nigeria · UNICEF Nigeria Annual Report 2025 — “Nigeria’s Children: The Numbers That Call Us to Action” (2025) · Underlying data: MICS-EAGLE Nigeria Education Fact Sheets 2023 · Verified 2026-11-05

  8. 8. 48% vs 99%, improved drinking water: poorest vs wealthiest households

    Households using improved sources of drinking water: 48% of the poorest compared with 99% of the wealthiest (urban 96%, rural 62%).

    UNICEF Nigeria · UNICEF Nigeria Annual Report 2025 — “Nigeria’s Children: The Numbers That Call Us to Action” (2025) · Underlying data: Nigeria Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2023–2024, Wave 1 · Verified 2026-11-05